


Stung by the Wasp

by Queenietae6789



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:48:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23477725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenietae6789/pseuds/Queenietae6789
Summary: Tumultuous relationship between Taehyung and Jennie - drugs, crime and secrets
Relationships: Taennie - Relationship
Kudos: 1





	1. Buying & Selling

Jennie stared blankly at the cracked reflection in front of her. Her eyeshadow had migrated onto her cheeks, and her nose was rubbed red raw. The bass emanating from the speakers outside the door thrummed through the walls, rattling the mirrors hanging precariously from the walls. She shivered. Her heart was racing and upon closer inspection, her pupils had dilated massively. Reaching into the small pouch clasped in her hands, she dipped a fingertip into the white, rubbing it over her gums in quick succession. She sniffed. A thin trickle of blood dripped onto her lip, and she wiped at it out of frustration. With a bang the door to the ladies toilets swung open and in its wake were a gaggle of drunk girls all talking at once. Jennie winced as the sound of laughter pierced her skull. Locks sliding in the jambs and the sound of toilets flushing added to the cacophony. Jennie left the toilets, irritation pooling in the base of her stomach. She was swallowed by the crowd, the deep bass pulsing steadily in her veins. Partygoers jumped around her, jostling her left and right. She shoved them back, sliding out of the throng to reach the bar, her lips dry. Out of nowhere a hand shot out and reefed her into a quiet corner. Jennie stumbled, her vision blurring as she tried to focus on her surroundings. Glancing up at her accoster she frowned.  
"Get off me, asshole"  
Kai shook her firmly before easing off on his grip.  
"Where the fuck have you been?" he hissed.  
"Out selling drugs, where else?" Jennie shot back, pushing him away from her. Kai held fast, backing her into a wall, fist full of her hair. Jennie bit back a cry of pain.  
"Well our biggest buyer just left the club" he spat. "And why? Because you were in the jacks wiping your arse"  
Jennie glared at him. "And you couldn't have given him the supply, no?"  
Kai tugged on her hair, her neck twinging at the awkward angle. Jennie cried out in indignation.  
"I knew we couldn't trust a woman to do a mans job. You've just lost us a hugely important client"  
"I know that" Jennie replied. "You don't have to keep reminding me"  
Kai scoffed. "You blew the operation. Our boss will hear about this"  
"You need me to sell the drugs, dickhead. Men love a woman dressed in tight clothing - I doubt they'd want to bang your sorry dimpled ass" she countered, ducking out from Kai's hold, smoothing her hair down as she did so. Kai eyed her, the coloured lights casting eerie shadows across his visage.  
"Watch yourself" he warned, voice low and unfriendly. "You know what happens to whores who don't behave"  
Jennie stalked past him. "Go fuck yourself" 

The bar was crowded, a forest of hands reaching through the air to snatch pints and pitchers out of the idling hands of the staff. A headache formed behind Jennie's eyes as she elbowed people out of the way. The bar was sticky beneath her navy blazer. Tha song changed to one she knew.  
"What can I get you?"  
"Whiskey. Leave the coke"  
Jennie shivered as an unfamiliar presence settled behind her, and thinking it was Kai, she turned round, ready to give him a piece of her mind. Instead she was met with a broad chest clad in a black jumper and matching leather overcoat. The smell of cologne assaulted her nostrils. The stranger braced an arm on the bar, and Jennie eyed the Rolex adorning his wrist. She sniffed.  
She paid for the whiskey, taking hold of the cold glass in her clammy hands. Her stomach retched the second the taste of alcohol hit her tongue. She could feel it interact with the cocaine in her system, smiling widely when the high took hold. The club vanished into her peripheral. She could hear voices. Someone was talking to her. She looked up and saw the stranger from before looking pointedly back at her. Then she saw the colours and a giggle escaped her lips. The stranger cracked a smile back. He was handsome. Gorgeous even. Sharp jawline and the deepest eyes. His hair was held back with a patterned headband. She shook her head, feeling her brain spin inside her skull. She turned away from the bar, clutching at her chest, the sudden urge to rip her heart out becoming too hard to resist. She clawed at her collarbones, the paranoia gripping her sanity in an iron vice. She opened her mouth to scream. Her boots were wet. Her eyes flicked from one end of the club to the other. She was aware of two strong hands, steering her out of danger, away from the bar and over to a seating area. Something cold, ice, numbed her mouth as she gulped it down, feeling the chill settle her shattered nerves. Her vision cleared. Sitting next to her with a pint of water in his hand was the stranger from the bar. Jennie blinked, fighting back the nausea that threatened to spill over if she took another breath.  
"Who...?" Her voice didn't sound like hers.  
"You're gonna be okay" came the muffled response. The music blared, drowning out any chance of conversation.  
"That's not what I asked" Jennie mumbled.  
She'd been high before, but not like this. Fear replaced the drugs, and she sat up, uneasy.  
"I'm Taehyung"  
Jennie shook her head, as if to shake the cocaine out of her brain. She needed another hit.  
The leather of the couch clung to her exposed thighs. Taehyung pressed the cold pint of water against her chapped lips, urging her to drink. Jennie moaned, pushing it away. She stood up. Taehyung stood up too.  
"I need to .. go.." she slurred, marching off onto the dancefloor in search of a final buyer. The pouch seemed to burn a hole in her pocket. She didn't want it. She stalled in the middle of the space, letting the crowd consume her once again. She knew she was dancing but she had lost all feeling in her legs and arms. The song changed once again. A vibration against her thigh made her reach into her boot to retrieve her phone. The screen swam in front of her. Her head throbbed, and with an unsteady hand she clasped her temple, in an attempt to ease the discomfort. The strobe lights turned into distorted faces in her peripheral and the panic spiked up through her spine in response. She thumbed her screen desperately before her heart gave out and she collapsed.

*

Jennie stirred. She peeled her eyes open. The sound of gentle snoring made her glance up to see Taehyung lying next to her on top of the covers, torso exposed, long ash brown fringe falling into his eyes. Jennie bit back a gasp, sliding out of the bed in panic. She hunted around the bedroom for her clothes and belongings. Her eyes scanned the room. There was a vanity in the corner, with limited items on the desk, bar a wallet, watches and three small cologne bottles. Spying the en-suite she made her way into the bathroom, the cold tiles making goosebumps break out on her bare legs. She peed, feeling suddenly exposed. Flushing the toilet she made her way over to the sink, and peered at herself in the mirror. Her eyelashes had coagulated underneath the mascara, and her powder had been wiped off in some areas, making her skin look patchy. Dry skin clung to her chin and around her mouth. She needed more cocaine. Her brain screamed at her to feed the addiction. She ran the water in the tap, watching it hit the basin with a splash. She reached out, the harsh glow from the cabaret lights above illuminating the scars that riddled her arms. She bent down and lashed the water over her clammy face, before wiping at her skin with a soft towel, cleaning off what was left of her makeup. She bared her teeth at her reflection, frowning at the slight yellowish tint that marred the enamel. Picking up one of the toothbrushes from the glass at the edge of the sink she scrubbed at them haphazardly, before spitting a gob of phlegm into the sink, rinsing it away. Hesitantly she emerged into the bedroom, casting a wary eye over at the man in the bed. He was where she left him, lying sprawled on the divan, chiselled torso rising and falling. Jennie's eyes fell on the white band of his underwear that peeked out from beneath his trackbottoms. She turned away, hunting around the room for her shorts and blazer. She pulled on her shorts, dragging a hand through her greasy hair as she shuffled around the space, muttering underneath her breath.  
"Going somewhere?"  
Jennie jumped, looking at the man in the bed with wide eyes. Taehyung stares back at her beneath hooded lids.  
"Yeah. I have to go" Jennie replied, dragging her blazer over her arms quickly, pulling it taut around her body with trembling hands.  
"You don't" came the response.  
Jennie whirled round. "Why did you bring me here?" Taehyung smirked, draping a powerful arm behind his head to prop him up. Jennie glared back at him from the end of the bed, her blazer hanging open.  
"Why not? I wasn't going to leave you in the club"  
Jennie scoffed. "Don't do that again. I don't even know you"  
Taehyung tilted his head, eyes not leaving her face.  
Jennie buttoned her blazer, desperate to look anywhere but at the handsome boy on the bed.  
A realisation dawned on her then. She snapped.  
"Why did you undress me? What? You get off on assaulting women you don't know?"  
Taehyung frowned, thick brows knitting together at the accusation.  
"I didn't assault you. I'm not that type of guy"  
Jennie assessed the hurt expression that flashed across his face. Guilt rose in her throat.  
"I.." she trailed off.  
"I don't know what kind of men you've been hanging out with, but I want you to know that I would never do that"  
"Whatever" Jennie mumbled. "Kai will be looking for me, so I can't stay" she said as she dusted the vanity in search for her phone.  
"He your boyfriend?"  
"I don't have a boyfriend" Jennie replied, voice low.  
She found her Sony on the bedside table, scooping it up and sliding it into her pocket. Sitting on the end of the bed she pulled her boots on, grateful to have a barrier between her and Taehyung.  
He shifted behind her, and out of the corner of her eye she could see him move around a large closet, pulling the oak doors wide, blocking him from view. Jennie stood up, moving her feet around in her boots to find a comfortable position. Taehyung pulled a pair of black jeans up onto his hips, letting them hang low as he fed a belt through the loops, fastening it tightly. Jennie drank in his features. He was tall. His build was strong, and a desire to run her fingers through his long messy hair flashed in her mind. He slid into a black hoodie, pulling it up over his head. He moved to the door.  
"Where are you going" Jennie asked. Taehyung plucked car keys off the vanity. He peered at her between strands of his fringe.  
"Out for a coffee. Wanna come?"  
Jennie shook her head. "I can't"  
Taehyung pulled the door open. "Kai can wait"  
Jennie hesitated. "Yeah, I'll go" she muttered, eyes falling on the messy duvet.  
She followed Taehyung down into the car park, staying a couple feet away from him. Her dark curls fell into her face, acting as some form of protection.  
She slid into the passenger seat. The car smelled of vanilla and cologne. Taehyung pulled out of the car park with ease, his large hands twisting the steering wheel around as he navigated his way down the road. He didn't look at her once as he drove, flicking on the radio to fill the silence. Jennie stared out the window, watching the surroundings whiz by, making her sleepy. Coffee sounded like a good idea.

Taehyung pulled up outside a small cafe. He put the car into park.  
"I'm just going in here for a coffee. Want anything?"  
"Yeah. An Americano, please" Jennie replied.  
Taehyung climbed out of the car, locking the vehicle as he did so.  
Jennie watched him head into the cafe across the road. His lithe figure stalked with purpose. Her breath hitched in her throat. Her phone rang. She answered it.  
"Where the fuck are you?" Kai's deep voice boomed on the other line.  
"Out" Jennie replied.  
She could hear Kai scoff down the receiver.  
"When you get home, we are going to have a chat" he hissed, before hanging up. Jennie let the phone fall into her lap, her heart picking up the pace when she saw Taehyung return to the vehicle with two coffees and a sandwich in hand. He sat into the drivers seat, setting the drinks down on the console between them. He handed Jennie her coffee.  
"Thank you" Jennie said.  
Taehyung pulled open the sandwich box and tucked into the meal. He offered Jennie the second one. Her stomach rumbled in response. She took it in shaking fingers. The bread and filling tasted heavenly on her tongue. She couldn't remember the last time she ate. She picked at the meal tenderly, wanting to savour every bite. Taehyung had finished his meal, sipping away on the coffee, and starting the engine with the other.  
"Let's go for a walk" he said.  
Jennie resisted. "I should get going"  
"Why'd you want to leave so soon?" Taehyung asked."Are you in some kind of trouble?"  
Jennie shook her head. The withdrawal set in, making her palms sweaty. She no longer desired the sandwich.  
"None of your business" she snapped.  
Taehying raised a brow, but he didn't question it.  
They drove a mile up the road, before a beautiful beach came into view. People milled about on the promenade. Jennie balked. Finding a vacant spot, Taehyung pulled in and the car came to a halt. Jennie got out, feeling the sea breeze ruffle her hair. The sound of waves plunging and crashing boomed in her ears. She crossed the road and skipped onto the promanade. Taehyung followed.  
Jennie stepped onto the walkway, standing at the wall that overlooked the beach and the crashing waves, and she couldn't help the sad smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. The wind chilled the coffee in her takeaway cup. She could taste the seasalt on her lips. Taehyung joined her side, placing both elbows down next to her, just like he did at the bar that night. He turned to look at her, the breeze blowing his fringe into his eyes, obscuring his vision. Jennie stared out at the horizon, absentmindedly picking at the lid of her coffee cup with chipped nails.  
"You were like a child back there" Taehyung said. Jennie looked at him, squinting slightly as the wind picked up.  
"What do you mean?"  
Taehying smiled, and Jennie's stomach dropped. He was beautiful. Stubble dotted his chin and upper lip. She drank the cold contents in her cup, desperate to busy her mouth. She swallowed hard. Below her children shrieked as the cold water hit their bare feet. Teenagers lounged on the massive boulders at the base of the slipin groups, smoking and drinking out of beer bottles.  
"You were so excited to come down here" Taehyung said.  
"I haven't been to the beach in a long time. I really enjoy the sea" Jennie replied, moving away from the wall and down the nearest slipway, her platforms sliding precariously on the moist surface.  
"Careful" Taehyung called out behind her. Jennie crouched and slipped her feet out of her boots, leaving them in her wake as she headed down to the cusp of the water, the drumming of the waves louder than before. The wind whipped at her hair, throwing it around her face. She stepped into the froth, relishing in the sharp chill that shook her to the core. Her need for cocaine vanished, replaced with something else, a foreign feeling, instead. She grinned. The water lapped at her ankles as her toes disappeared beneath the wet sand, drawing her further into the surf. She turned. Taehyung was sitting on one of the boulders, legs open, hands plunged deep into his hoodie pocket. Jennie danced out of the water, making her way over to him. Her boots lay beside him.  
"You have a beautiful smile" Taehyung said.  
Jennie made eye contact, and at that moment a connection was made. She felt instantly drawn to him. His eyes were dark and deep and full of mystery. He swallowed. Jennie's eyes fell to his lips. In lieu of a distraction, she leaned down to reach her shoes, her face inches from his.  
"Thank you" she mumbled. Taehyung moved aside to let her sit next to him. Drying her feet on the rock she stuffed them back into her footwear, the interior rubbing against her damp skin, much to her irritation. Casting one look back at the briny, they headed back up the slipway, not talking, comfortable in the silence. At the top, Jennie stopped. Her phone rang. She didn't answer. Taehyung joined her side.  
"I really have to go now" Jennie said, stepping back from him.  
"Where? I can drive you?"  
Jennie shook her head. "No"  
"You sure?"  
"Yes" Jennie said, clicking open Google Maps as she moved away from the promanade, maintaining distance between Taehyung as she did so. She couldn't meet his eyes. Those magnificent eyes.  
Taehyung closed the gap in two long strides. Panicked at his proximity, Jennie raised her hands in defence.  
"Let me give you my number then?"  
Jennie chewed her lip, reluctant. Taehyung held out his hand, long fingers extended. Jennie placed her device into his palm, their skin brushing slightly at the exchange. Her skin sparked at the touch. Taehyung thumbed his way across the screen before handing it back to her.  
"Just in case you need me" he said.  
Jennie turned away from him, heading down the road opposite to the car park, following the blue marker on the screen. She didn't look back.


	2. Assault & Pepper

Dusk fell. The stench of rotten food and waste filled Jennie's nostrils. She gagged. The lamp above the entrance to the flat flickered on and off, and she wasted no time in buzzing on the bell, eager to get inside. Kai answered the door, pulling it wide when he saw Jennie standing there, arms wrapped around her body, in an attempt to trap heat. He sneered at her.   
"Get in here"   
Jennie crossed the threshold, and emerged into the fugue of cigarette smoke laced with burning marijuana. The large round table in the middle of the living room was littered with poker equipment, cards, chips and counters skittered across the surface. Kai's friends, members of his gang, sat around the table, shouting at one another as they took their turns. Baekhyun booted the leg of the table, knocking over Taemin's stack of chips. Taemin lunged at him, swearing viciously. Baekhyun grinned.   
"You fucking lost" he said. "Pick up the chips and let's play another round".  
Taemin raised a fist. "You're a dickhead. If you don't know how to play then don't".  
Taemin shoved the chips back into the centre of the table, taking a swig of his beer once his space had been cleared.   
Baekhyun indicated at Kai, gaze falling on Jennie.  
"Kai, lets play" he said.  
Kai, wearing nothing but a pair of red slacks sauntered over to the table, and picked up his cards.   
"I had shit cards anyway" he said, tossing them messily onto the table. Three fluttered to the floor.   
Jennie remained at the door with clenched fists  
Chatter from a smaller table at the far end of the room sat two other women. Jennie knew them. Lisa, was a prostitute, and a veteran drug trafficker. Kai had recruited her to run his cartel, and she had jumped at the opportunity. A nine milimeter handgun lay at her side. Lisa peered at Jennie, taking a slow drag on her cigarette, elbows planted on the plastic tablecloth. Irene lay face down on the table, wearing nothing but a pair of black panties. Her arm hung limp at her side, and Jennie could make out the small heroin syringes that littered the musty carpet at the girl's feet. The table was cluttered with mid to empty beer and vodka bottles, aswell as an abundance of cigarette ash and several open bags of cocaine and ecstasy. She dropped into a vacant chair.   
"Here" Lisa said, sliding a glass slate with two lines of cocaine on it towards Jennie. "There are no dollar bills so you'll have to manage"  
Desperate for a hit, Jennie snorted both lines with ease. Her nose burned. The drugs took hold, and her body responded with an enhanced burst of dopamine. Her heart hammered inside her chest in a rhythmic sequence, but the high was mediocre. "More" Jennie mumbled. Lisa grinned, putting her blunt cigarette out on the tablecloth, before pushing an open bag of the drug into Jennie's space. Jennie cut another two lines with an old credit card, before sniffing the powder in one breath. She relaxed in the seat, her muscles void of sensation. Lisa passed her a bottle, and Jennie drank from it, the stale taste of yeast making her grimace. Then she sat back, and let the chemicals run ragged in her system. A loud yell from the other table made Jennie shoot up, giving herself whiplash. Lisa had vanished from the table, but Irene remained stationery in her drug induced stupor. The harsh single lightbulb that hung from the ceiling stung Jennie's eyes, and a headache peaked behind her temple. Kai moved around the room, chatting loudly to Baekhyun and someone else she couldn't see. She went into the bedroom and undressed, slithering beneath the two wool comforters that lay askew at the end of the bare mattress. Stacks of cocaine bricks sealed in plastic were strewn across the floor like land mines. The rest sat atop the small desk in the corner, the sheer weight of them causing one of the legs to bend in at an awkward angle. The curtains were permanently drawn and the space was stagnantly dark and stuffy.She rested her head on her arm, the increase in dopamine making her sleepy. Her body was gripped with exhaustion.  
Her comfort was short lived at that moment, just as Kai came ambling into the bedroom, a fat joint dangling from his lips. Jennie stirred, waking slowly.   
"There you are, kitten" Kai smeared, lighting the end of the joint with a deft flick of the wrist. Jennie rolled onto her back. Kai bent over her, passing the joint to her. Jennie accepted it, inhaling deeply on the filter, filling her lungs with heat.  
"Where have you been, kitten?" Kai asked, face close.   
"I told you" Jennie replied, sliding under the blanket.   
"Hmm" Kai got up and wandered around the room, pulling his trousers off before jumping onto the mattress beside her. The marijuana had a dizzying effect.   
"You know what happens when you're disobedient, right, kitten?"   
Jennie froze at his words. She turned to face him, only to have him clamp a sweaty palm over her mouth, muffling her screams. Kai bore down on her forcing her legs open as he climbed between them. Jennie squirmed, scratching at his chest with vigor. Kai wrestled with her, bearing down on her small frame with all his might. Jennie bucked, managing to raise her knees high enough to elevate Kai off her, planting them on his chest as she planned out her next move. Aggravated, Kai pulled his hand back before cracking her across the face with it, his rings slicing cuts into her skin as he followed through. Jennie yelped, clutching at her face with shaking hands. Her skin bristled. Taking advantage, Kai grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head, arresting them in a tight hold.   
"No" Jennie cried, feeling tears spring to her eyes. The drugs hindered her movements, allowing Kai to yank her knees wide, before settling between her legs once again.   
"Stop. Get off me" she begged.   
Kai brought his lips to her ear. "You brought this on yourself" he taunted.  
Jennie let out another scream, resulting in a second slap across the face. Silenced, Kai tore at her underwear, positioning his hips at her entrance. Jennie writhed, but to no avail. She whimpered as Kai forced his erection inside her, tearing at the skin down there in the process. With rough action he fucked her, hips pistoning back and forth, ramming into her entrance with faster, more violent movements. He grunted as he pulled out with a chafing motion, ejaculating messily on the blanket caught underneath Jennie's ass. She bit back a torrent of tears, as Kai stood up, staring down at her with a curled lip. His erection deflated and he reefed his trousers up onto his waist to cover himself.   
"You're bleeding" he spat in disgust. He headed back into the living room then, leaving Jennie alone in the dark. Bruised, she curled up on her side, her vagina aching from the assault. She had lost feeling in her face. Gritting her teeth she fought back the river of bile and the remnants of this afternoon's sandwich that erupted into her throat. A damp had gathered on the inside of her thighs and she wiped at it with intrepid fingers. Blood. Swallowing hard, she sat up gradually pulling on one of Kai's oversized shirts to cover her thin torso and breasts. Taking her panties she walked into the smelly en-suite and dabbed at her entrance with a wet tissue. The sting that ensued made her gasp in pain. Two hot tears spilled down her flushed cheeks. She pulled her panties up her thighs, assessing the damage as she did so. Purple bruising marred her skin in three large spots, and her muscles ached in response. Pulling her underwear up fully, she returned to the bed and lay down, shutting her eyes in an attempt to catch sleep. As her eyelids became heavy her mind threw up fragments of a memory that resembled furious waves, teeming surf and the man with the most brilliant brown eyes.

*

"Hold still" Lisa snapped, pulling tightly on the strings at the back of Jennie's white corset. Jennie braced her hands on the edge of the desk in the main bedroom, feeling her chest constrict with every pull that Lisa made.   
"I can't breathe" she gasped out.   
"That's the point" Lisa replied, looping the strings around eachother to make the final cross at the base of Jennie's spine. Jennie could feel Lisa's fingers tickle her skin as she altered the rest of Jennie's outfit. Kai came into the room then, and slammed a large silver briefcase down on the surface of the desk, startling Jennie in the process.   
"How much we bringing?" Lisa asked. Kai cast a dismissive glance over his shoulder at her. Jennie looked up at him as he spoke, and they made brief eye contact before his gaze travelled up her body, and he smirked at her bent and position.  
"That position suits you" he purred. Jennie shuddered at his words. To Lisa he said three hundred. Lisa rapped Jennie on the shoulder, and Jennie stood to her full height, feeling the immediate pressure on her ribcage. Baekhyun entered the room then, case in hand. Irene lingered in the doorway at his side, clad in a black bralette and sparkling skirt. She chewed on her nails not saying a word. Kai loaded the case with 300 grams worth of cocaine.   
"We ready to go? Taeyong and his associates will be at the club in fifteen" Baekhyun said. Kai nodded at him.   
"Give me fucking second, will you?"  
He snapped the case shut and ushered Jennie towards the door.   
"Let's fucking go, everyone" he ordered, hauling Jennie out to the idling black SUV outside. Jennie pulled her arm free, sliding into the backseat without a word. Lisa scrambled in after her, handing her a pouch, before moving over to make space for Irene. Jennie inhaled the contents of her pouch, rubbing the last of the powder on to her gums.   
"Good girl" Lisa cooed, snorting her share of the drugs in quick succession. The panic Jennie felt at the beginning of the night disappeared as her brain released the happy endorphins, flooding her veins with a false sense of confidence. Kai jumped into the front seat, Baekhyun beside him. Like a man possessed Kai sped down the road, skimming through the stop signs before screeching to a halt down a deserted side road. Jennie clambered out and followed the others into the club via a side door. The music reverberated through the walls as the group made their way up the stairs and into the club. Jennie scanned the crowd, moving in sync with Kai. Lisa branched off to one side of the club, and Irene and Baekhyun went the other way, leaving Kai and Jennie in the centre. The place was thronged. Velvet booths lined the back of the room, next to the obnoxious DJ booth, shrouded in darkness. The strobe lights illuminated the path. Kai slid his sweaty fingers between Jennie's, much to her disgust as they stalked out onto the dancefloor in hot pursuit of their prey. 

Taeyong and his associates stood up to greet Kai as he and Jennie approached them. A bucket of ice stood on the table between them, a bottle of champagne sticking out from under the cubes. Glasses were placed at intervals next to it. Jennie sat back, pushing her chest out to show off her best assets as Kai implemented the transaction beside her. The music drowned most of the conversation. Kai cracked open the briefcase, exposing the contents to Taeyong. Jennie gauged his reaction. His eyes were on her. In return, the man beside Taeyong lifted a similar case out from underneath the table, and brandished it to Jennie. Jennie assessed the cargo with an eyebrow raised. Thirty thousand dollars stared back her, bundles of crisp notes tied neatly with elastic bands. She reached out and closed the case, setting it down beside her. Taeyong did the same with their cargo, and an amicable shaking of hands fixed the deal. A song Jennie knew blared out of the speakers, and with the drug still running rampage in her bloodstream she got up and took to the dancefloor, breaking into a careful series of movements, carving an effortless routine into the song, tossing her groomed hair over her shoulders sending subtle winks back at her company, bending her body in perfect arches as the song reached its climax. She was aware that other club goers were looking at her too. The song switched to a more upbeat track, and she returned to the table, a strong sense of elation that had nothing to do with the drugs filled her core. Upon her return, Taeyong reached out with an arm and reefed her down into his lap, trailing unwanted kisses down her neck. Jennie flashed him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she made to stand up, only Taeyong was faster, throwing her down onto the seat in the middle of him and his associates. Jennie tried to be polite but panic seized her once more. The corset felt abnormally tight all of a sudden. Taeyong pulled out a small round pill from an invisible pouch and offered it to her. Jennie complied, letting him place it in the middle of her tongue. On her left the other man lifted a flute of champagne to her lips and poured the fizzy liquid down her throat, washing the pill down with it. Kai was nowhere to be seen, and the briefcase was gone. As if a switch was flipped in her brain she felt all the blood rush to her head. Her vision glitched and she had lost all feeling in her limbs. Warped faces danced around her. She was moving, walking, but she didn't know where. What looked like Taeyong's face came into her view but he was distorted and ugly. Frightened Jennie pulled back, only to come up against a blockage. Another person, her subconscious told her. She stepped through a doorway and a harsh light blasted into her pupils. A rainbow appeared in front of her, and she balked. She couldn't appreciate it for long as another door opened and she was hustled inside, a knock at the back of her knees making her drop to the ground. The stench of piss and ammonia singed her nostrils and her eyes watered.   
"Where..?" she asked, but her words weren't coherent. Fingers grabbed at the corners of her mouth as her lips were forced open. Jennie bit at them in defence, but her head was trapped in a lock of some kind. Taeyong's dick crammed into her mouth and she gagged, but had no choice but to suck it. She did so against her will, hallowing in her cheeks to maximise the pleasure. Taeyong stood above her, hips moving at a steady rhythm. Jennie sucked compliantly, moaning when he ejaculated into the back of her throat. The fingers around her lips fell away then and she gagged, spitting up saliva and semen onto the floor. Audible laughter tinkled in her ears. Taeyong vanished from her view, and she rose to her feet, legs shaking. A harsh cough brought the remains of the semen up into her mouth and she spat it out into the sink, feeling vomit churn in her stomach. She felt dazed. Her corset felt loose around her, and she exhaled a ragged breath. Aware of her surroundings she noticed that there were urinals embedded into the walls behind her. She left the men's bathrooms with her head down, shaken and embarrassed. The club swelled as the night progressed. Kai has returned to the table, and Taeyong sat opposite him, throwing Jennie a sleazy look as she dropped down next to her partner.   
"Drink" Taeyong offered, reaching over with the champagne to refill Jennie's flute. With Kai's gaze locked on her face, Jennie, despite her fear, sipped at it slowly, the longing for more drugs grating on her brain. Taeyong rose, as did his counterpart.   
“We’ll be in touch” he said. Kai nodded.   
“I need more” Jennie said once Taeyong was out of earshot. Kai shook his head.   
“Not here”.  
At that moment Jennie spotted Baekhyun and Irene weave their way towards the front of the club. Kai was on his feet, Jennie in hot pursuit. When they stepped out of the club the skies had opened, and a heavy rain lashed down on top of them, Kai threw the briefcase over his head as protection against the elements. Jennie’s abdomen cramped, and she longed for food, anything. The flat was cold when they arrived home. The fridge was empty save for some cold pizza and moldy milk. Settling, she bit into the clammy tomato and cheese, ravenous.   
“Come to bed kitten” Kai called from the bedroom.   
“Coming”


	3. Dancing in the Dark

Jennie woke, a viscous sensation on her upper lip alerting her to the pool of blood that had stained the mattress where she lay. She felt dizzy. Dabbing at her nose her fingers came away sticky and tainted with dried blood. She sniffed and her sinuses prickled. She went into the en-suite and checked her face in the mirror. Using a damp tissue she wiped the gore away, and washed her face. Emerging from the bathroom, Kai came in from the kitchen, Taemin on his heels, stopping just inside the door.  
"We're making the drop today" Kai said. He jeered when he saw Jennie.  
"It's about time you got up" he said to her, shoving past her to the desk in the corner. He jerked his chin in her direction, indicating at the briefcase full of cash on the desk.  
"Count the money for me, and put our share in the bottom drawer" he demanded.  
Jennie complied.  
"Ok, I'll call Mr Lee and tell him where to meet us" Taemin said, pulling out his phone.  
"That should have been done already" Kai spat, lighting a cigarette.  
"It would have been had I known that our usual location was comprised sooner" Taemin shot back, running his fingers through his fringe. Kai rolled his eyes.  
"How long you been in this business ?" he countered, raising an eyebrow. He sucked loudly on his cigarette, exhaling through his nose as he awaited Taemin's response.  
Taemin opened his mouth to reply just as his phone rang, interrupting the conversation. He answered it, disappearing out of the bedroom as he did so.  
Jennie heard Kai sigh before sinking down onto the mattress, sprawling his long limbs wide. She didn't speak. The money chafed her fingers as she counted the bills, making quick mental notes of the total as she did so. Kai received thirty percent of the profit from every successful deal, and the rest went to their boss Mr Lee.  
"Have you counted it yet?" Kai asked from the bed.  
"I've counted four thousand so far" Jennie replied.  
"Hurry up" came the reply. "The boys and I have to make the drop in the next hour"  
Jennie continued summing up the cash, terrified of making a mistake. Kai joined her side, snatching the wad of money out of her hands roughly. A thin trail of smoke filtered gently out of the end of the cigarette that hung precariously from his full lips.  
"I'll do this," he said. "Count another batch"  
"Ok," she said quietly, pulling the bills out of another wad without a word.  
Taking the fag from his mouth, Kai set the money down on the desk and picked up another bundle. Jennie did the same. They were up to six thousand now. Taemin burst through the door then, Lisa on his heels. Kai glanced up at the intrusion.  
"Our warehouse downtown" Taemin cried. Kai put the fag out on the side of the desk.  
"What about it?"  
"It's been raided"  
"Fucking hell" Kai exclaimed. Predicting Kai's movements, Jennie rescued the rest of the money from his wrath, just as he grabbed the briefcase with the rest of the cash in it, sending loose bills to the floor. He swung it towards Taemin.  
"Load the van" Kai ordered.  
Taemin complied. Lisa shook her head at Kai.  
"The tip came in from one of our clients"  
"Then let's do something about it" Kai replied, pulling his own handgun out of one of the drawers in the desk. Lisa followed Taemin outside.  
Jennie got up. Kai shoved her back down into the seat, holding his gun inches from her face.  
"Stay here," he said, voice chilling.  
"You know what'll happen if you leave"  
Jennie nodded in understanding.  
Kai left the flat without another word, leaving Jennie alone in the stuffy dimness.

Taking advantage of the quiet, Jennie sent Taehyung a text. The silence that ensued whilst she waited for a response allowed enough time for the regret to sink in, and she warred with herself about whether she should delete the message or not. Panicked, she did a line of cocaine to calm her nerves. The second her hormones peaked a message came in on her mobile. Her face warmed at the thought of seeing Taehyung again. She texted a quick reply before tossing the device on the bed, hunting around the vacant room for some clothes. Once dressed she placed a cap on her head to hide her greasy, unwashed hair. Her phone dinged a second time as she left the flat, pulling the visor of the cap low over her face as she dodged down the streets, not wanting to be spotted. The bus journey to Taehyung's location was short, and she got off in the busiest district in town, avoiding the crowds. A breeze tugged at her hair as the afternoon fell away. She reached the large dance studio in ten minutes, balking at the vastness of the structure, all glass and modern architecture. Nervous she walked inside. The floor was marble. Plants stood in every corner. Her junkie self didn't belong here and she knew that. Hesitating at the door she contemplated texting Taehyung and telling him she got lost, but the determination inside her won out and she walked down the hall with a false confidence. Glancing into one of the studios she could make out a group of young men milling about and executing complex choreographies in the mirror. She pushed open the door and slipped inside, sticking close to the walls as she tried to spot Taehyung amongst the moving heads. She found him in the centre, wearing a sleeveless shirt and low crotch black jeans. A moist sensation pooled between her legs at the sight of his sweaty physique gliding across the wooden ground as he moved. He caught her looking at him in the mirror and grinned. He stopped dancing to approach her, the rest of his crew carrying on behind him.  
"You made it" he said. He smelled like Lynx and perspiration.  
Jennie couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips at his words. "You should thank Google Maps" she said, tone playful. Tae grinned, chest rising as he tried to slow his breathing. Jennie met his gaze, and the same connection she felt at the beach sparked between them once again.  
"Tae" someone called from the far side of the room. A tall dark haired guy jogged over to them.  
Taehyung slapped him amicably on the chest. "Jennie, this is Jungkook" he said.  
Jungkook fist bumped her in lieu of a greeting. Jennie returned the favour, a giggle escaping her lips. Jungkook turned to Taehyung.  
"Let's do another run," he said.  
Another guy whistled at the two from the middle of the studio. Jungkook went to his side and faced the mirror, as did the rest of the group.  
"Come on Tae," the guy said, raising his voice slightly.  
Taehyung faced Jennie. "Take a seat," he said.  
Several plastic chairs had been folded neatly in the corner and not wanting to disturb the dance crew she opened the nearest one and sat down into it. As she did so, the cocaine she had taken earlier took effect, and the sudden spike in dopamine made her fidget. She crossed her legs and stared into the mirror in an attempt to restrain her sudden desire to be active. The music pumped from the large black speakers hanging from the ceiling and her heart rate picked up in sync with the beat. Sweat beaded along her hairline and she adjusted the cap twice to dab it away. She watched the men dance with intrigue. They effortlessly swapped potions, not missing a single beat or step. The sound of their shoes squeaking on the wooden ground added to the impact of their strong synchronicities and powerful movements. Once the song ended, Taehyung and three other of his friends dropped to the floor, exhausted. Taehyung lay there, hands crossed on his torso, legs spread. His friends teased him and he let out a laugh, a sound that Jennie wanted to burn into her ears for the rest of time. Watching him so relaxed and at ease made a lump form in her throat.  
The chatter died down, and Tehyung waved his friends away as they filed out of the dance studio, leaving Jennie alone with him in the space. Jennie got up and went to the mirror, suddenly captivated by the need to dance and move her own body. She noticed Taehyung gazing back at her in the reflection. He remained sprawled on the ground. A new song filtered through the speakers, one with a strong beat and danceable lyrics. Wiggling her shoulders a few times she broke out into a slow choreography, keeping her eyes trained on her reflection as she moved around the studio, using an old tape marker on the ground as her focal point. The song picked up and Jennie popped her chest twice before dropping low. She continued to cut move after move into the music, her mind glued on her body's energy and what it was doing. She rolled her head around as she launched carefully into the next step. She spun around and then froze. Taehyung was sitting up watching her, intrigue and fleeting desire etched into his face. Jennie fixed her cap shyly.  
"I didn't know you could dance" Taehyung said.  
"You never asked me" Jennie replied.  
Taehyung got to his feet and stalked into her space. Panicked Jennie stepped away from him, keen to keep her distance.  
"Dance with me" he said.  
Jennie glanced up at him from beneath the visor of the cap, chewing on her lower lip in reluctance. Taehyung inched closer.  
"Please"  
"Sure" Jennie said, standing next to him. Her skin ignited at the proximity. Using a remote to control the speakers Taehyung skipped through the tracks before landing on a song. The grungey melody created a sultry vibe, one that created tension between Jennie and her partner. Taehyung initiated the first move and Jennie followed, copying his steps with relaxed execution.

She turned, locking her eyes with his, watching him prowl the floor like a predator. She toyed with him, her lithe figure breaking out into a natural dance rhythm, hips rocking first before she introduced her best assets, teasing him with her body before taking it away again, ensuring that all his attention was focused on her. Jennie's limbs moved without instruction, and she slid to the ground with agility, feeling her muscles burn in all the right places.A noticeable sweat clung to her skin, and she relished the sensation. Pushing her fringe back she surveyed his flow, refusing to stop the routine she had carved into the music so effortlessly. He was there. The second the beat dropped, they had already united in the middle of the floor, two bodies crushing together in a silent pact. He mirrored her moves perfectly, his tall, strong chest rising to meet her at all the right moments. Jennie forced herself to dance into his space against her better judgment. She worked with the generic music, her body throwing one move after the other into the mix with zeal. He slid back into her space, his large body blocking her in, forcing her to engage with the limited space provided. Jennie met his eyes boldly. He grinned, facial expression obscured by locks of long, brown hair. As if on cue, she slid into his embrace, cocking her hip up into his groin in an effortless manoeuvre, only to meet the subtle thrust of his hips at the same time. With every brush of fabric against bare skin, Jennie felt elated. Letting her guard down, she pushed her assets towards him, and he reciprocated, choosing to grab the dip in her thighs to pull her even closer than before. Jennie slammed into his build. Wanting to remain in control, she began to swing her hips left and right, and Taehyung didn't disappoint, following her unspoken commands with athletic composure. Jennie flicked her head to the side, engaging with the beat and matching her own steps to every little component in the song, refusing to miss a second of it as the melody pounded in her ears. Taehyung bent down to graze his cheek against hers, but Jennie spun out and away from him, snatching back his prize with gusto. He eyed her through his wet fringe, and Jennie could feel a sense of an animal instinct radiate off him from five feet away. She cocked her head, goading him, coaxing him out into the open, her seductive nature daring him to chase.  
Taehyung did just that.  
They collided in the centre of the studio just as the song came to an abrupt end, and breaching each other's personal space, they froze, bodies one breath apart, exhaling heavily into the sliver of air between them. Jennie's hair tumbled into her face, curls clinging to the damp on her neck and cheeks, cap long forgotten. She looked up through her lashes to see the handsome face staring back at her in high definition. A smirk broke his lips at the corner, his palm resting comfortably low on her hip. His shirt clung to his moist body in all the right places. He steered her in the direction of the water dispenser, dropping into a chair as he did so. Jennie sipped at the water tentatively, afraid to meet Taehyung's gaze. He gulped loudly from a plastic bottle, splashing the last of the contents onto his forehead.  
"I wish you told me you could dance" he said.  
"It would have spoiled the mystery"  
"I don't think I've even come close to cracking the mystery around you" he countered. Jennie hid a smile behind her plastic cup.  
"It's complicated" she said. "I can't dance as freely as I'd like to"  
"Why's that?"  
Jennie cut him a side long glance. He was already looking up at her.  
"I told you, it's complicated"  
Taehyung got to his feet then, and Jennie marveled at his height. "I'd like to know"  
Jennie chewed her bottom lip in contemplation. Panic gripped her heart at his words.  
"Like to know what?"  
"Everything" Taehyung replied, cocking his head. "Starting with your name?"  
"It's Jennie" she said, voice barely a whisper.  
A blush crept up her face and she pulled her hair forward to cover her reddening cheeks.  
"Don't hide" he said. Jennie could hear the smile in his tone. "You're a beautiful dancer, Jennie"  
Jennie liked the way he said her name.  
"Maybe I can dance here again someday" she said, throwing her disposable cup into the bin next to the dispenser.  
"Of course" Taehyung replied.  
Jennie picked her cap up off the ground and sat it back on her head. It felt tighter than before.  
"I'm going to head now" she said.  
Taehyung followed her to the door. "Again?"  
"Yeah. I don't want to .. eh.. miss the bus"  
Tears clogged the back of her throat as she tried to speak.  
"I can drive you home if you miss the last one"  
"No". The word came out sharp. Taehyung stopped in his tracks. Jennie tried to look everywhere except at him, her eyes gleaming with fresh tears.  
Taehyung invaded her proximity, eyes pleading. Jennie turned her face away from his, but he followed her eyes, trying to entice her to look at him once more.  
Jennie kept her gaze low, the walls around her heart shooting up in defence as they had done so many times before.  
"Why won't you let me in?" he asked.  
"It's not that fucking easy" she choked out. Sensing hostility, Taehyung backed off, scrubbing a hand over his beard scruff in agitation.  
"Fine" he muttered. "I won't push"  
Jennie darted to the door on agile legs.  
"See you around" she said over her shoulder as she vanished down the hall. The cold night air chilled her flaming cheeks as she ran for the last bus, feeling her heart shatter inside her chest as she moved. The bus pulled up at the curb with a hiss and she clambered on, visor low in an attempt to hide herself from the rest of the world.


	4. Psychedelic Addict

Jennie could feel the cocaine eat away at her brain as she tried to come down from another brutal high the following evening. The mattress irritated her skin as she lay facing the ceiling, watching the black mould race across the plaster through heavy eyelids. Her stomach growled, begging for food. She didn't know when her next meal would be. The sun shone through the grimy curtains, the heat making the pungent stench of stale beer and blood in the room become more apparent. The mattress stewed in the calefaction. Jennie was aware of her own body odour, unable to recall when the last time she showered was. Her lips were chapped. The sunlight burned her eyes. Kai came storming into the bedroom just at that moment, the sound of the briefcase hitting the surface of the desk startling Jennie. Her heart raced in her chest at the noise. He approached the foot of the bed and glared down at her. Jennie met his narrowed eyes.  
"You disobeyed me again, kitten" he hissed.  
"I didn't"  
"One of my clients saw you get off the bus in town yesterday" Kai spat. Jennie's palms grew sweaty, and she suppressed a tremble.  
"I.." she began, but a hard punch in the gut cut her off. Once she had been incapacitated, Kai grabbed her ankle and hauled her down the bed. Jennie fought back, pulling her ankle free from his grasp, and kicking out with it, landing two knocks on his chest as she scrambled away from his clutches. She rolled over and pulled Kai's gun from under the blankets, where he had left it the other night and pointed it at him, removing the safety with her thumb as she did so. The weapon felt huge in her small hands. She met his eyes once again, brazen in her actions. Kai smirked, enjoying the game.  
"Kitten" he slurred, lip curling up into a sneer at the sight before him. Without warning, Kai backhanded the gun clean out of Jennie's grasp, taking her off guard. He smacked her across the head, before using a strong arm to reef her closer to him. Jennie squirmed, brain rattling around in her skull at the assault. Kai grabbed her neck with an unforgiving hand, holding her down as he pulled her hips up towards him, her toes catching in the carpet as she struggled against him.  
"No" she cried. Kai pushed his palm down on her temple, shoving her face into the mattress, stifling her screams and protests. Jennie tried to lift her back, but Kai wasn't letting up. Jennie threw an elbow up to see if she could land a blow, but Kai was ruthless. He grabbed her arm and pinned it at her back, pulling it high so that she couldn't move.  
Jennie protested, but her words lacked coherency.  
"I can't hear you kitten" Kai teased. Jennie writhed at the feel of his cold fingers against her skin as he pulled her panties down. Without warning he rammed his erection into her vagina, proceeding to rape her violently as he rocked his hips in a steady rhythm. Jennie shut her eyes in an attempt to block out her ordeal, as Kai gathered pace. Her entrance stung as he moved, his vicious actions causing a severe pain to pool in her lower abdomen. Once he reached his climax he pulled out, discharging his load onto the bed beneath Jennie's legs. He groaned loudly, spanking her on the ass for good measure.  
"Nobody is going to treat you as well as I do, kitten" he said, dressing himself. Jennie crumpled to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest as her addled mind processed what had happened. She wasn't aware she had been crying until she wiped at her face with cold hands. Her vagina ached and the muscles in her lower back tightened. Kai dropped onto the bed, pulling a joint out of a tin box on the bedside table. He cast a look over at Jennie and scoffed, inhaling deeply on the filter. He scoffed at her appearance.  
"Clean yourself up" he mocked, flicking the ash off his joint with a deft motion. Jennie stood up and pulled her panties up her legs. Moving to the desk she cut two lines of cocaine, tripping over stacks of the drug as she did so, legs trembling. She snorted one line before two loud gunshots ripped through the silence. Her heart leaped into her mouth. Kai scrambled up and ran towards the living room, pocketknife in hand. Jennie wiped at her nose, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. Kai walked into the living room, Jennie at his side. Baekhyun was standing to his full height at one end of the room, gun in hand. Taemin was slumped over in a chair, a fist sized hole in the side of his head. Another man lay at the door face down in a pool of his own blood. Lisa was also present.  
"What the fuck?" Kai yelled.  
"One of the rival gangs" Baekhyun explained. Kai stood in the middle of the room, assessing the damage.  
"Where are my drugs?" he said, noticing the sizeable difference in his cartel. Cocaine had been spilt on the ground beneath his feet, powder sticking in the cracks of the dirty tiled floor. Plastic littered the place in clumps. Baekhyun fiddled with his gun.  
"They managed to take like 500 grams" he said, not meeting Kai's gaze. Kai chuckled, but not in a friendly way.  
"HOW DID THEY MANAGE THAT?" he roared.  
"I don't know. I just came running at the sound of the commotion" Baekhyun stuttered. Kai smashed a fist through the drywall at his comrade's words. Lisa intervened.  
"It was Taemin's watch" she said.  
"Well" Kai scorned. "Look what happened to him".  
Lisa eyed him. "He did the best he could"  
"IT WASNT FUCKING GOOD ENOUGH" Kai replied.  
"Where did they go?" he asked, turning to Baekhyun.  
"Not far" Baekhyun replied.  
"Get the shotgun"  
Kai stormed into the bedroom and threw on boots and a jacket, sliding his pocketknife into the lining of it before standing up and fixing his hair. Baekhyun slammed the weapons down on the table. Kai picked up one of the shotguns and cocked it.  
"Let's go" he said. "Call for backup"  
"Already done" Baekhyun replied.  
Lisa and Jennie stayed silent.  
"You two" Kai said, jerking his chin in their direction.  
"Pack the drugs and money now" he said. "Leave nothing behind"  
He stormed out of the flat with Baekhyun on his heels. Lisa got to work, and Jennie joined in. Lisa pulled out two large duffel bags from a cupboard in the corner, tossing them down onto the table in front of them. Jennie began packing the one closest to her, stacking the bricks of cocaine in on top of eachother, one by one. Lisa did the same, shoving the money and the drugs into the second bag. They worked like that until the kitchen was cleared, careful to step over the dead body as they completed the task at hand. Lisa searched Taemin's body, opening jacket flaps and checking his jeans for any kind of weapon. When she found his gun she stuffed into the waistband of her leggings.  
"There are more drugs in Kai's room" Jennie said.  
"Get it" Lisa replied. "I'll take these bags out to the van"  
Jennie went into the bedroom and locked the door behind her. With her heart in her mouth and adrenaline keeping her mobile, she pulled on a pair of Kai's jeans before packing a smaller rucksack with the cash from the desk drawer and the remainder of the drugs, taking two bricks with her and leaving the rest. She heard Lisa return to the flat and she picked up the pace, slinging the bag over her shoulder as she ran to the window, throwing the curtains wide, and yanking the stiff pane open with nimble fingers.  
"Jennie" Lisa called from the other room. She banged on the door. "Hurry the fuck up"  
Jennie didn't reply, grabbing Kai's gun from the bed before throwing one tentative leg out over the window pane.  
"Open this fucking door right now, Jennie" Lisa yelled. Swallowing the bile that had risen in her throat Jennie proceeded with her plan. Rain lashed down on her in cold sheets, soaking through Kai's shirt and revealing her naked breasts as a result. Sirens wailed in the distance. Blue and red lights cast menacing shadows over the entire building. Gunshots and shouts echoed in Jennie's ears, the sounds falling into line with the beating of her heart. She stepped onto the fire escape, the brittle frame tremoring under her weight and the elements at hand. A strong wind picked up, driving the deluge against the structure, dousing Jennie in the process. Her hair clung to her forehead like a wet mop.  
Two blasts from inside made Jennie move faster. She could still hear Lisa shouting abuse at her from behind the bedroom door, but she didn't stick around to find out what she was saying. Jennie stepped along the metal construction, gripping onto the slippery handle bars for balance. She hurried down to the street as fast she could, keeping to the shadows as she ran, feet splashing into puddles as she darted down the nearest alleyway. Kai's jeans rode down her hips and she struggled to keep them up as she made it to the crowded bus stop, jumping on the first bus that pulled up, the flood hindering its speed as more and more people clambered on. Jennie sat down in the nearest seat and hugged her torso in an attempt to trap warmth. Her teeth chattered as the vehicle pulled off into traffic. The rain rendered the window opaque. She pushed her sopping fringe out of her face. The shirt clung to her erect nipples and she sat the rucksack on her lap to hide them. The chill jangled her nerves.  
With a ding the bus announced her destination. Rising slowly, Jennie moved to the front, desperate to disembark before anyone recognised her. She tugged Kai's jeans up over her slim waist, holding them in place as she sprinted off the bus, ducking under a shop awning to catch her bearings. The streetlamps seared through the cloak of the fog as Jennie's lithe figure ran beneath them, turning into an elaborate apartment complex at the end of the road. Police cars squealed past her and she shook, ducking into dark corners and shop entrances to hide. The load she was carrying felt heavier than normal. Eventually finding shelter she rang the bell of the apartment she wanted, holding the button down out of fear. She glanced behind her several times, eyes wide. The rain fell in sheets, making it hard to see a figure coming towards her. She felt sick. Lights from neighbouring apartments taunted her, mocking in their idea of safety and security. The door to the apartment swung open and Taehyung stood there tall, his 6ft build mesmerising in the glow. He had a hoodie and matching trackbottoms on. Jennie stared at him, breathing heavily.  
Taehyung frowned at her appearance, shock and concern masking his handsome face.  
"Come in" he said.

Jennie stepped into the bathtub, turning the shower on with numb fingers. Standing underneath the flow she created a lather, a puddle of grime gathering at her feet as she scrubbed at her scalp and body, keen to remove the years worth of abuse and addiction off her person as best she could. The temperature warmed her pimpled skin, and she felt a fleeting sensation of safety and security in that moment. Examining her myriad of bruises with tentative hands, she sat down in the tub, letting the steam work it’s magic on her pores. A knock on the door made her glance up. Taehyung entered the room, a large white towel in hand. He perched on the edge of the toilet and peered down at her, eager to talk. Jennie braced her arms on the edge of the bath and blinked up at him, afraid to face the music.  
“I want to help you” he said. “But I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what’s going on”  
Jennie lowered her gaze. “I’m a drug addict”  
Taehyung inhaled at her words. “Go on”  
“Kai was my dealer for a while, and then when I ran out of money to pay off my debts he gave me an ultimatum and I took it. I thought he loved me, but it became clear quite soon that he was using my dependency against me” she said, speaking slowly. She assessed Taehyung’s reaction out of the corner of her eye. He was staring at the white bath rug at his feet.  
“What else?” he asked.  
Jennie bit her lip. “The abuse ..”  
“What kind of abuse?”  
Jennie’s vision landed on the tiles surrounding the bathtub, the plug hole, the refraction of light bouncing off the shower head, anywhere but on Taehyung. A bolus of shame and guilt formed in her throat.  
“Jennie?” he pushed, voice gentle.  
“He did what you can imagine” she replied.  
“I see”  
A silence descended on them. The tap dripped and the drains gurgled. Jennie rested her chin on her arms, the heat suddenly making her feel drowsy.  
“I’m scared” she mumbled.  
Taehyung placed a large hand on her wrist.  
“I’m here, okay?”  
She met his eyes. “You don’t understand, Taehyung. I stole drugs from Kai. He’s going to come after me”. Jennie fought back the tears that threatened to spill, sliding her arm free from under his hand as she changed positions in the tub, desperate to distract herself from the discomfort of the conversation.  
Taehyung frowned. He scratched at his facial scruff as he weighed his options.  
“Alright” he said after a pause.  
“Alright?” Jennie questioned.  
“Yeah”he said. He rose to his feet. “You ready to get out?”  
Jennie shot him a quick smile, before getting to her feet, covering her assets with her hands, a pink blush creeping up her cheeks for good measure. Taehyung opened up the towel for her to step into, the soft, laundered fabric wrapping Jennie in a comforting embrace. Taehyung pulled the towel tight around her frame, the muscles in his arms flexing as he worked the material into a cinch. “I like your tattoo” he said, taking Jennie off guard. “The wasp?” she asked. “Yeah” he said, rubbing his thumb over the image tenderly. This time Jennie didn’t flinch at his proximity. “It reminds me of how strong I can be” she said. “I like it” Taehyung replied. “Thanks” she mumbled. He patted her shoulder fondly, and Jennie’s skin ignited at his touch. She wanted him in her space, to be close to her. Taehyung looked at her.  
“Feel better?”  
Jennie caught his movements out of the corner of her eye, lifting her shoulder slightly out of reflex. She nodded in response. Taehyung grazed his cheek with hers, and with her heart hammering in her chest Jennie let him. Their lips met in a gentle act of intimacy, Taehyung’s tongue flicking at the inside of her bottom lip in a playful manner, wrestling with her own as their lips moved together in perfect unison. Jennie pulled away then, stepping outside of his embrace, gripping the towel in tense fingers, suddenly aware of her exposed body. Taehyung sensed her doubt and backed up. He scratched the back of his neck, biceps straining against his clothing as he did so. Jennie touched her lips, a tingling sensation dancing across them all of a sudden.  
“I’m sorry” Taehyung said.  
“Don’t be” Jennie replied. “I wanted it to happen”  
Shyly she emerged into the bedroom, Taehyung on her heels.  
“I’ll make some tea” he said, heading into the kitchen. Jennie pulled on one of his T-shirt’s, and her freshly washed panties, rubbing the towel down through her hair in an attempt to dry it. She sat into Taehyung’s bed, the smell of Lynx radiating off the sheets as she sank into the springy mattress. Taehyung returned with two mugs in hand. He passed her one before sitting on the bed opposite her, balancing the mug precariously on the duvet.  
“So, how dangerous are we talking ? Who is this Kai dude?”  
Jennie sipped her tea. It burned her tongue.  
“Kai is a bad person. He’s killed people over messed up drug deals in the past” she said, voice a whisper.  
Taehyung sucked his teeth.  
“Okay” he said.  
“I can be gone tomorrow Tae” Jennie said.  
“Absolutely not. He’s not going to hurt you anymore Jennie” Taehyung replied, reaching past her to put his mug on the bedside table. Jennie held her beverage close to her chest, unsure of Taehyung’s motives and certain that Kai would unleash hell on her once he learned of her whereabouts.


	5. Ultranumb

The sun spilled into the room the following afternoon, casting a warm glow over the rumpled duvet. Taehyung woke to find Jennie rocking back and forth in the corner of the bedroom, hands tangled in her hair. He scrambled out of the bed and ran to her side. She stared past him, not acknowledging his presence.   
Taehyung grabbed her hands and yanked them out of her hair, clasping them in his own palms as he attempted to make eye contact with her. Sweat beaded along her hairline, and her hands were clammy.   
"Jennie" he called. "Hey"  
Jennie looked at him, and a flash of anger crossed her blank expression.   
"What are you doing?" she snapped, pulling her hands free and clambering to her feet, moving out into the kitchen without sparing him a glance. Taehyung followed, concerned.   
"What's going on, Jen?"   
"I'm..." she stopped, her voice trembling. She slid the frying pan onto the ceramic hob and drizzled some oil into the centre of it, rushing to the fridge to grab food items out of it. A sense of anxiety gripped her heart at that moment, and she leaned against the countertop, muttering to herself, her sentences blending into one as the invisible fear took hold. Due to this delay the oil in the pan began to sizzle resulting in a cloud of smoke to billow out from the hob. Jennie didn't move from her position, unaware of the potential danger that lay in wait. Taehyung jumped into action and yanked the utensil off the hot plate just in time. He glared at Jennie, irritation flashing in his eyes.   
"What the hell is wrong with you?"  
"Nothing" Jennie snapped.  
"You want to burn the place down, is that it?"  
Jennie frowned. "It was an accident" she countered.   
Taehyung shook his head at her callous behaviour. Taking the food items from her hands, he took charge of the cooking, letting the oil spit and pop as gristle met heat. Taehyung threw Jennie a sidelong glance. She was standing in the same place, biting her nails and fidgeting with her clothing at the same time.   
"You want to eat?" he asked.  
Jennie didn't answer. She left the room.   
Taehyung dished up two eggs and some bacon onto a plate, putting the pan into the sink for washing up later on. As he tucked into his meal, his phone rang. It was Jungkook. They spoke for a couple of minutes.  
"Yeah, I'll be there" Taehyung said, hanging up.   
A loud crash from the bathroom made him go running, swallowing his food whole as he went towards the source of the noise. Jennie was standing at the sink with a razor blade in hand. The cabinet was open and one of the shelves had come loose, resulting in bottles of moisturiser, facial cream and deodorant to litter the vanity below. A corner of the sink had chipped upon impact. Jennie cut into her arms with the blade, and Taehyung swooped in to snatch the utensil out of her grasp before she did any more damage. Jennie stared at him, eyes wide riddled in panic.   
"I'm sorry" she said.   
Taehyung took a hold of her wrists and hauled her out of the bathroom in frustration.   
"Explain to me what just happened?"  
Jennie wiped at her cuts feverishly, smearing the thin lines of blood all over her pallid skin. Taehyung balked.   
"Stop that" he said.   
"I'm crashing" Jennie said.   
"Crashing? What does that mean?"   
"Withdrawals, Taehyung ! I'm going through withdrawals" she snapped, lying down on the bed as a sudden desire to rest took hold. She draped her wounded arm over her eyes, blocking out the light. Taehyung approached the foot of the bed, hands in pockets. He watched her toss and turn, mumbling as she did so.   
"What can I do to help?" he asked.   
Jennie groaned. "Nothing".  
"There's food waiting for you in the kitchen if you want it" he offered.   
Jennie shot up. "I don't want to eat Taehyung. How many times do I have to say it".  
Taehyung scowled. "How am I supposed to know if you don't tell me?"  
"Surely me not giving you an answer said it all"  
"I'm assuming this attitude of yours is a symptom of withdrawal too?"  
Jennie rolled her eyes. "Fuck off"  
She pulled the duvet up around her shivering frame, willing sleep to take advantage of her exhaustion. It didn't come, and she became restless. Sweat poured off her, making it impossible to settle.   
Taehyung stepped closer. "I'm worried about you, Jennie, despite your shitty attitude"  
Jennie wailed into the pillow in lieu of a response. Taehyung placed a hand on her cheek. Her temperature had spiked. Soaking a towel with cold water he dabbed at her forehead and neck, desperate to cool her down at all costs. Jennie batted his hand away, delving further beneath the covers.   
"I said fuck off" she shouted, the blankets muffling her words. Taehyung threw the damp towel down onto the bed beside her out of annoyance.   
"You're so ungrateful" he countered. Jennie let out another howl, and Taehyung departed the room, shutting the door behind him. Taking his plate he proceeded with the washing up, leaving Jennie's portion on the side of the oven for later, despite his better judgment to toss it out with the remains of his own meal. Picking up his phone he googled her symptoms, curiosity getting the better of him. Satisfied with his new knowledge he returned to the bedroom and assessed the situation. Jennie lay lifeless under the covers and he pulled them back to ensure that she was in fact still alive. Her skin was clammy to the touch, and her shirt was damp with sweat. Her breath hitched in her chest. Taehyung looked around the room, and his eyes fell on the rucksack she had brought with her when she escaped Kai's den. He picked it up to move it out of the way when the weight of it caught his attention. Opening it he reached inside and pulled out a black handgun. He stared at the offending item disapprovingly, a mixture of shock and discontent coursing through him. At that moment Jennie stirred. Holding the gun aloft, Taehyung waited for her to wake. When she did, she fixed two narrowed eyes on him.   
"You went through my stuff?" she exclaimed, rushing to his side.   
"Why the fuck did you bring this here?" Taehyung demanded, holding the gun high so that she wouldn't be able to snatch it back. Jennie shoved him in the chest.   
"Give it back" she cried. "Why'd you snoop through my things?"  
"I didn't go through your things. I found it by accident. Now tell me why you have a fucking handgun" Taehyung replied. "What? Did you have plans to rob me or something?"  
"Obviously not" Jennie yelled. "It's for self defense"  
"Against who? Me?"  
"Don't be dumb" Jennie said. She made a grab for the weapon but fell short. Taehyung danced away from her, hiding the weapon behind his back. "I just escaped a fucking drug house, so obviously I'm going to need to protect myself" she explained.   
Taehyung wasn't convinced. Jennie crossed her arms to hide her nerves.  
"Do you know how to use it?" he asked,   
Jennie raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"  
Taehyung brandished the glock once again, turning it over in his hands a few times.  
"Show me then"

As the day progressed Jennie's condition worsened. Taehyung had hidden the handgun in a safe in the wardrobe once Jennie had shown him how to use it, and the simple act had taken a lot out of her. Rising from the bed she ran to the toilet and vomited, bile and mucous splashing the bowl as she purged. This was the routine for the most part of the afternoon. Taehyung got into bed with her, holding her close as her body fought against the symptoms. Her brain itched against her skull, crying out for more drugs, another hit. Jennie moaned into Taehyung's chest.   
"I can't do this" she said.   
Taehyung held her tighter. The cold compress wasn't proving effective as Jennie's immune system leaped into overdrive.   
"You're stronger than you think" Taehyung whispered, running his long fingers through her hair as he spoke. As the hours went by, Jennie passed in and out of broken sleep, an act that did nothing but prolong her suffering as the withdrawals reached their peak. Her stomach churned and she rushed to the bathroom, purging up more fluid and bile. Shivering, she returned to the bed, slithering back into Taehyung's embrace to trap warmth. She cracked a small smile when she noticed that he had already dozed off. Shutting her watery eyes, she willed sleep to come. Eventually, she descended into a deep slumber, silencing her racing thoughts once and for all.

Taehyung shot up out of a deep sleep to the sound of his phone vibrating loudly on the night stand. He picked it up and checked the time. He was due to meet his friends in ten minutes. Jennie snored quietly beside him, face flushed. Dusk had fallen. Taehyung eased out of the bed so as not to wake Jennie as he proceeded to get dressed. Taking his car keys he left the apartment, letting the door click shut behind him. Rolling onto her side, Jennie cracked her eyes open, staring into the gloom as her brain registered where she was. Her stomach cramped, and she felt cold. Her desire for more cocaine had subsided in her relaxed state. The space next to her was empty, the traces of Taehyung's body weight evident in the mattress. Jennie rubbed the area. It still felt warm. Glancing at the window she saw the orange glow of the street lamps against the onyx backdrop. Pulling the duvet around her she went to nod off again when the scratching of keys in the front door down the hall startled her. She shot up, panic rising in her chest. The intruder entered the apartment, footsteps quickening as they made their way through the rooms. Jennie swallowed the bile in her throat. Kai had found her, she was sure of it. Paralyzed she lay frozen in place. The bedroom door creaked open and the intruder entered, walking to the night stand on the far side of the bed to switch the lamp on. Taehyung's sweaty figure came into view, and Jennie exhaled a breath she didn't know she had been holding as relief washed over her. She emerged from the covers and looked up at him.   
"I thought you were Kai" she said. Taehyung smirked.   
"I don't think I'd be this quiet if I was him" he teased. Jennie shot him a look and he chuckled.   
“Don't joke about that" she said, getting up. Taehyung reefed his shirt off over his head and Jennie blushed when she caught sight of his muscular torso, perspiration clinging to his tanned skin in all the right places.   
"I was kidding Jen" he said, tossing the shirt into a basket at the door. He smiled when he noticed Jennie's pink cheeks, but chose not to address it.   
"Dare I ask if you are hungry now?" he said.  
Jennie nodded.   
"I'm meeting the lads downtown for beer and pizza in a while, so would you like to join us?"  
"Sure" Jennie said. Taehyung came into her space.   
"How are you feeling?" he asked.   
"Better. The sleep helped" she replied, voice catching in her throat as she took in Taehyung's broad physique and toned limbs.   
"Good. If you are stuck for clothes you can wear something of mine" he said, disappearing into the bathroom. Jennie pulled out hangers of shirts and jumpers from the wardrobe, trying to find something suitable. She finally settled on an oversized black jumper, paired with Kai's jeans. They had since shrunk in the wash and the waist seemed to sit better on her hips than before. She tucked the jumper into the jeans for good measure. Taehyung came out into the bedroom once again, towel drying his hair as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a button down shirt. Adding a beanie to complete the look they left the building, rushing through the drizzle to reach the car park. Jennie pulled the sleeves of the jumper down over her hands to keep the chill out.   
It didn't take long for them to reach the restaurant and Jennie was grateful for the warmth that greeted them upon arrival. Jungkook and four other guys were crunched together in a booth and Jennie slid in beside them, Taehyung taking his place opposite her.   
They ordered quickly.   
"Want a beer?" Jungkook asked, eyes resting on her face. Against her better judgment, she nodded. Seven beers came their way, and whilst the rest of the boys tucked into them, Jennie hesitated. Alcohol reminded her of her time with Kai, and she didn't want to set her withdrawals off again. She knew Taehyung was watching her.  
"Don't drink it if you don't want to" he whispered, shooting her a comforting glance. She fiddled with the sleeves of the jumper, aware that her symptoms were returning. Jungkook moved next to her and she tried not to flinch.   
"Where's Jin?" Taehyung asked, taking a swig of beer. The boy closest to him leant forward.   
"Didn't you hear? He's just had a baby, so his fun factor is basically non existent now" he said. The table laughed, followed by a messy clinking of beers.   
"Yeah he's rather clean puke off the floor than come hang out with us" another voice chimed in. Jungkook leant back against the booth, beer bottle in hand.   
"At least he's won't be cleaning our puke" he said. Taehyung laughed, and Jennie couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips at the sound.   
"He'd have to do it anyway, so why not choose the fun option" came another response.   
A cheer of unison rose at that moment, and Jennie winced at the sudden noise. She raised her beer as they went in for a second cheers, not wanting to be left out. Taehyung indicated in her direction and twelve pairs of eyes fell on her.   
"This is Jennie by the way" he said proudly.   
Jungkook nudged her. "Yeah we've met before"  
A collection of Hi's permeated the table at that moment and Jennie waved shyly, taking a sip of her beer to calm her nerves. The pizza arrived in all it's cheesy glory, and a forest of hands descended on them. Jennie ate slowly, savouring each bite. She ate four slices, enjoying the feeling of being full for a change. The beer tasted better once she had eaten and she downed it quickly. As she did so the portal in her brain that demanded drugs spoke up again, and her smile faded as the cravings kicked in. Glancing at Taehyung she saw that he was ensconced in conversation, talking and laughing along with his mates. Gestures were made and more beers had been ordered. Breathing became difficult, so Jennie excused herself and ran to the toilets. Locking herself in a cubicle she sat on the toilet and allowed the panic to wash over her. Her stomach heaved, and she vomited, making a mess all over the bowl. The alcohol and acid singed her throat. She needed cocaine. Inhaling deeply she willed the hunger away, refusing to let it get the better of her. Managing to get her breathing under control she proceeded with her business, taking a piss before emerging from the toilets. Upon opening the door she spotted Kai and Lisa milling around the restaurant. Kai was at Taehyung's table. A sweat broke out under her armpits at the sight. When she saw Lisa come her way she dove back into one of the cubicles and crouched on the toilet lid, staying low as the door squeaked open and the cubicle next to hers became occupied. Jennie held her breath, bracing her hands on the walls so as not to lose her balance. She didn't move. The toilet next to her cubicle flushed and Lisa went to the sink to wash her hands. Rising on her haunches, Jennie could just about make out the top of Lisa's jet black crown, going between the sink and the soap dispenser. The sound of plastic rustling followed by exaggerated sniffing made Jennie's heart leap into her mouth. Her head throbbed as she fought the addiction once again. Her body went cold. Lisa continued to make snorting noises before leaving the room, letting the door squeak loudly in her wake. Exhaling Jennie stepped off the toilet and puked up the rest of her meal. The anxiety seized her chest cavity in its iron vice and she leaned against the door to catch her breath. Wiping her mouth she stumbled out of the cubicle and back into the restaurant, aware that Kai and Lisa were no where to be seen. Taehyung was at her side in no time. He had a crumpled piece of paper in his fist. He ushered Jennie back towards the toilets, out of earshot.   
"They're here" Jennie stammered. She gasped for oxygen. Taehyung held her close to his chest, the sound of his heart soothing to Jennie's ears.   
"They've found me Tae" she said. Taehyung shushed her, planting a ghost of a kiss on the top of her head.   
"It's ok. They're gone now" he whispered.   
Jennie balled the fabric of his shirt in her sweaty palms, not wanting to let go. She felt safe in his arms.   
"What's that?" she asked, brushing her fingers against his fist. Taehyung opened his palm and unfurled the paper to reveal a missing persons poster with Jennie's face on it. Her hands flew to her mouth.   
"No" she said, eyes filling with tears. Taehyung wrapped her in a tight hug.   
"They just want to scare you" he said. "It's going to be okay, I promise".  
Jennie blinked the tears back and straightened her shoulders. She sniffed.   
"You're right. I can do this"   
Taking her small hand in his they walked back to the table. Jungkook looked at them approaching.   
"You ok, Jennie?" he asked. The rest of the table waited on an answer.   
"Yes" she said, sitting down next to Taehyung.   
"Some guy came in looking for you" the boy next to Jungkook said.   
"Yeah, he's my ex" Jennie said, swallowing hard.   
"So Taehyung said" Jungkook replied. The conversation picked up after that and Jennie was grateful for the change of subject. She managed to participate in the chat more and even cracked a joke here and there too. The night ended on a positive note, and the drive back to Taehyung's was comfortable.   
"I'll make some tea" he said once they got back to the apartment.   
"I'd love that" Jennie replied, disappearing into the bedroom to change her clothes. Once alone she caved in to her addiction and rushed to find her rucksack, pulling out the two wrapped bricks she had stolen from Kai with vigor before heading into the bathroom, tearing them open with savage intent. She inhaled the powder quickly, the familiar feeling of being high enveloping her once again. She sat back against the bath as the drugs took hold, the rise in dopamine fuelling her heightened sensations. Taehyung burst into the room at that moment. Jennie has already succumbed to the drugs, unaware of how much she had taken. Taehyung skidded to his knees in front of her, grabbing her face in both hands.   
"Jennie" he yelled, staring around her feet at the spilled powder and torn bits of plastic. The remnants of the drug clung to her upper lip and Taehyung wiped at it with damp thumbs.   
"Jennie" he called again, shaking her this time. Her head lolled to the side, and her eyes had rolled back into her skull. She mumbled something incoherent.   
"How much did you take" Taehyung cried.   
"I don't..." she began. Panicked,Taehyung got to his feet, drugs in hand. With sheer force he ripped them wide open and dumped the rest of the powder into the toilet before flushing it away. Jennie moaned at his feet. Taehyung didn't stop there. Stepping into the bath he turned on the shower, switching the temperature dial to cold. He gasped as the frigid water touched his skin, soaking through his shirt. Tossing his beanie to the ground, he reached down and carefully lifted Jennie into the bath with him, dropping into a seated position with her between his legs. The water lashed down on them both. Taehyung attempted to revive her for a third time, shaking her gently whilst also asking her questions.   
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into being with me" Jennie muttered. The cold water had the desired affect, shocking her system and making her jolt awake as a result. Jennie sat up, and Taehyung assessed her condition. The shock her body had undergone appeared to have neutralised the effects of the drug, and Jennie faced him, dazed and sad.   
"Well I hope I don't get myself into another situation like this" he replied. He threw his hands up in surrender. "What the hell Jen? You were doing so well"  
Jennie clambered out of the bath, pulling a towel around herself for warmth. "It's hard. I can't just quit cold turkey, you know?"  
Taehyung stepped onto the bathmat, his socks and jeans squelching from the wet. He ran his hands through his hair, shaking it dry like a dog.   
"Please don't ever put me in a situation like that again, Jennie" he said slowly. "You have to promise me that you'll not take another drug again".  
"I'll try" she choked.  
"I've flushed your supply so you'll just have to fight your way through it for the next couple of days" he said, peeling off his clothes. Jennie turned away as he grabbed a second towel.   
"Why would you do that?" Jennie cried.   
"Because you don't need it. You deserve to have a better life, Jennie. You don't need any more fucking drugs, okay?"  
He stormed into the bedroom and Jennie followed.   
Taehyung whirled on her. "I want to help you, but you have to meet me halfway".  
"Can't you see I'm trying?" Jennie countered.   
"I know you are. I am here to help you sober up, you know that, but I'm not Superman either. You have to do your part too"  
He pulled on trackbottoms and a T-shirt.   
“Get dressed. I'll get the tea" he said over his shoulder before leaving the room. Jennie let the tears fall, as she stripped down to her panties. She swapped out the jumper for a T-shirt and climbed into bed. Taehyung joined her soon after and they sat in silence. The mug warmed her cold hands, and she found herself getting lost in the swirling bubbles on the surface. When she looked up Taehyung was already staring.   
"I'm sorry, ok? Relapses happen all the time. It comes with the territory", she said, taking a sip of the liquid.  
Taehyung rested a hand on her exposed knees.   
"That sounds like an excuse" he said.  
Jennie let him. "How can you say that?"  
"I don't want to be insensitive..."  
Jennie moved away from him. "Well it sounds like that" she barked. Taehyung sighed exasperatedly.  
"Look, I can't and won't ever be able to imagine what you've been through, the struggles you've faced and the pain that you feel, but what I do know is that sometimes you have to be willing to let people who want to help you in, ya know? Learn to trust me and this'll all become easier" he said.   
Jennie shook her head. "It'll take time"  
"We have time"


	6. Frayed

Jennie faced the following day trapped inside her own head, pining for the drugs she had grown so used to, craving badly for another shot, another hit. She lay in bed with a compress on her forehead, racked by a cold sweat and condemned to the pergatory between no sleep and a deep slumber. Taehyung didn't leave her side. Frustrated, Jennie sat up in the bed, kicking the duvets off her legs. Her hair clung to her forehead in greasy clumps.   
"I can't believe you're doing this to me?" she cried.   
"It's for your own good, Jen"  
"It's ... I can't continue living like this" she said.   
"You promised me you'd make the effort" he replied.   
Jennie drove the heels of her hands into her eyes to null the desire to sob and scream. Her brain tormented her with its calls for attention. Noticing her distress, Taehyung shifted closer to her on the bed.   
"I don't remember my life before drugs" she confessed.   
"Well, isn't it worth knowing that you'll be able to have a life without them?"  
"I'm not sure I want it. The pain is unbearable" she said, voice small. Her throat clogged with unspilled tears. Taehyung pulled her down into his arms, and Jennie caved in, letting two stray tears fall.   
Taehyung kissed the top of her head.   
"I wish I could take some of the pain away" he said.   
"You wouldn't be able to handle it" Jennie teased, words becoming muffled in his shirt. Taehyung raised an eyebrow at her. Jennie grinned.   
"You got jokes huh?" Taehyung said.   
"No, I'm serious"   
"Hey, I've had my fair share of pain too you know?"   
Jennie rolled up onto her elbows, fixing him with a quizzical expression. Taehyung adjusted his pillows and sat up.   
"Really?"   
"Yeah"  
Jennie eyed him. He had lowered his gaze, suddenly afraid to speak. It was unlike Taehyung to be lost for words.   
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.   
"My ex girlfriend had cancer, and it took a drastic toll on our relationship as a result. I've never had to watch somebody die before. You don't forget it easily" he said.   
"Did you love her?"  
"Very much so"  
"How long ago was it?"  
"A year ago now"   
Jennie stroked his jaw in a gesture of comfort. His stubble felt rough against her skin. He met her eyes, and they exchanged a look that could only be described as a connection of mutual understanding. Feeling brave, Jennie got to her knees and straddled his hips, breaching his space as she did so. Taehyung didn't flinch. His hands flew to her hips, and hers landed on the wall behind him, faces inches apart. Jennie's breath hitched in her throat. Taehyung swalllowed hard, applying a certain amount of pressure on his hold as he tried to control his urges.   
"Do you miss her?" Jennie asked.  
"Not at the moment" he replied.   
"What was her name?"   
"Joy"   
Jennie noticed herself moving towards him, lips slightly parted. Her body yearned for a kiss. Taehyung met her halfway, and their lips collided gently. Taehyung's tongue was strong and his lips moist, and Jennie enjoyed the feel of them against hers, moving together to their own rhythm. Taehyung let his fingers hike up under her shirt, and that's when Jennie froze. She pulled away from the kiss, wiping the saliva from the corners of her mouth as she climbed off Taehyung's hips and back onto the mattress. Her heart raced inside her chest. The kiss replaced any artificial high she had ever felt whilst on drugs, and she loved it. Taehyung glanced at her with glassy pupils. He bit his lower lip as he drank in her features. Jennie flushed.   
"Joy was a lucky girl" Jennie said.   
"You remind me of her" he said.   
"Do I?"  
"A little"   
Suddenly, her stomach lurched and she sprinted to the bathroom, a strong wave of nausea washing over her at that moment. Jennie purged the remains of her breakfast, much to her dismay.   
"Jen, come lie down" Taehyung called from the bedroom. Jennie complied, dabbing at her watery eyes as she slid back into bed, feeling shaken and exhausted. Taehyung planted a kiss on her forehead as he went to fetch a glass of water from the kitchen.   
Jennie howled in pain. Taehyung handed her the water, and a painkiller.   
"This should help with the pain" he said. Jennie took the pill and swallowed it in a large gulp. She placed the water on the night stand and rolled over, shivering uncontrollably as the medication kicked into gear. The divan dipped underneath Taehyung's weight as he sat on it, pulling the duvet up to cover Jennie's exposed shoulder. Jennie sobbed into the pillow. Taehyung consoled her as best he could, refusing to leave her side until she had settled.

Taehyung left the apartment just as night fell, wanting to get to the shops before they closed for the evening. He walked fast, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, hood pulled high over his fringe. A misty drizzle had settled over the town like a thick blanket, and he shivered. Cars whizzed by and pedestrians milled about the busy markets and bustling alleyways, creating a decongested walkway on the narrow path. Taehyung danced his way around them, side stepping trolleys and mothers with buggies as he ducked into the supermarket. Outside, groups of young men and women jostled in and out of club entrances and the local takeaways, gearing up for a night on the piss. Taehyung grabbed a basket and began loading it with items. The shop was sparse so Taehyung was able to complete his task with speed. He stood in line to pay, and observed two tall men stride into the shop, clad in black attire. They loitered near the entrance, and Taehyung noticed the tallest man staring at him, nudging his companion in the side. A creeping sense of danger flashed in his mind, a sense of intuition, something he wasn't quite sure of. The queue progressed forwards and Taehyung moved into the next space, impatient at the wait. Glancing at the entrance he noticed that the two men had disappeared and he smothered the sensation that something was wrong. He paid for the items and then left the shop, merging with the street life as he headed back to the apartment complex, aware that Jennie might be wondering where he is. A hand on his arm made him whirl round. It was one of the men from earlier. Taehyung shook his arm free, glaring at the accoster through narrowed eyes.   
"Can I help you?" he asked. The man pulled his hood down to reveal a shock of dyed pink hair and a scar running through his eyebrow. He sneered.   
"Yeah, we're looking for someone"  
"Who?"  
The plastic shopping bag cut into his fingers, and Taehyung changed hands to relieve the discomfort. He shoved his wallet into his pocket, not risking getting mugged. People moved about around him.   
The man with the pink hair showed him the same missing persons poster from the other night. Taehyung swallowed. He shrugged.  
"Haven't seen her. Sorry" he said, turning to walk away, only to have his path blocked by the second man from inside the shop. Taehyung backed up, aware that the shop was closing their shutters behind him.   
"Look again" the second man insisted.   
"I haven't seen her, guys, ok?" Taehyung said, tone sharper this time. He tried to push past the second man, but to no avail.   
"What do you want?" he asked, frustrated.  
"We think you have seen this woman" the pink haired man said.   
"Why would you think that?" Taehyung inquired.   
"You've seen the wasp" the second man replied. Taehyung frowned. "What?"  
"We think you've been stung by the wasp" the pink haired man said, shooting his companion an indecipherable look.   
"I don't know what you're talking about" Taehyung said.   
"We think you do" the second man said, crossing his arms.   
"What are you? A cop?" Taehyung asked, feigning confidence. His heart hammered in his chest, and testosterone spiked through his veins, making him stand taller, brave in the face of conflict.   
"No" the second man said.   
"Then why are you looking for this woman?" he asked.   
"None of your business. Have you seen her or not?"  
"No" Taehyung barked. He shouldered his way past the obstacles and walked away, darting across the road to throw them off the scent. He couldn't lead them to Jennie. The sound of footsteps rushing up behind him made him turn around in time to feel the shooting pain of a blade cutting into his skin. A punch to the face made him drop to his knees, the food items he had purchased scattering as they hit the ground. Cars honked as they navigated traffic, but the sounds came across as delayed or having been slowed down in Taehyung's brain. His attackers ran, pulling the blade roughly out of the wound, tweaking it in such a way that it tore into the skin to create a second laceration. Taehyung fell onto his side, dabbing at the fresh stream of blood that pooled beneath him, his shirt becoming sticky as it absorbed the viscous liquid. Taehyung gasped for breath. As he passed in and out of consciousness, he was vaguely aware of a passerby crouching in front of him, shaking him as they tried to get his attention. He couldn't focus. The sound of sirens wailed in the distance.   
The paramedics hauled the stretcher into the back of the ambulance. Taehyung blinked in the harsh light. A female medic assessed his condition. A pressure on his wound made him glance down to see another medic holding a compress on it to stop the bleeding.   
"You've lost a lot of blood" the medic said.   
"Will I be okay?" he asked hoarsely.  
"Of course. Is there someone you'd like me to call?"  
Taehyung nodded. "Yes"  
The medic handed her phone to him and he slowly typed his own number into the call log before pressing the green button. When he did that the medic took her phone back and held the device to her ear. That's when Taehyung blacked out. 

Jennie startled awake to the shrill sound of a phone ringing. Groggy, she searched for the source of the noise, locating Taehyung's phone on the bedside table. An unknown number danced across the screen and she hesitated. Taking a breath she answered it.   
"Hello?". A female voice.   
"Hi?" Jennie said.   
"I don't mean to scare you, but your friend has been stabbed. I am one of the paramedics on call. We are on route to Briar Hill hospital as we speak. Are you his girlfriend?"  
Jennie's heart shattered in two at the medic's words. She swallowed the sea of vomit that leaped into her throat as she tried to formulate her thoughts. Her mind was elsewhere.   
"Um.... yes .. no, we are friends" she stuttered.   
"Ok. He will be okay, I promise" the medic said.   
"I'm coming down to the hospital" Jennie said, and before the medic could reply she had already hung up. She dressed quickly before retrieving the gun from the safe in the wardrobe, tucking it into the waistband of her jeans as she did so. Grabbing cash from her rucksack and sliding her hair underneath one of Taehyung's beanies, she ran out of the apartment into the drizzle. Hailing a cab at the curb, she was gone. 

The hospital was brimming with patients and medical practitioners when Jennie stumbled through the doors. The chill from outside buried deep into her bones. The place smelled sterile and of disinfectant, and her shoes stuck to the vinyl flooring. She made her inquiry at the reception desk, and when she had her information she made her way to the second floor and to the A&E ward. When she got there she asked a nurse wheeling a gurney into the operating theatre if she was attending to Taehyung.   
"Yes. We are going to operate on him now" the nurse said, snapping on gloves and a mask before pulling a metal cart of utensils in behind a curtain. Jennie hovered at the door.   
"You can't come in here" a doctor said from behind her.   
"He's my friend. Please" she begged.   
"No" he said, closing the doors to the theatre without another word. Jennie returned to the first floor waiting room and dropped into a seat. The room was empty save for an obese man and his wife and a pregnant woman who was preoccupied with her toddler.   
Heading into the small hospital kiosk, Jennie purchased cigarettes and a coffee. Asking for a bag, she went to the toilet and did her business, placing the gun into the bottom of the bag to hide it. Washing her hands she stepped outside for a cigarette, inhaling deeply on the fag , feeling some relief as the smoke calmed her racing nerves. The air was cold. Another ambulance swept into the car park and medics emerged with another stretcher in hand. They sprinted into the hospital, shouting orders at one another as if it was a military drill. Jennie's coffee cooled in the night air, and she grimaced at the lukewarm taste. Heading back inside the waiting room was vacant.   
The night progressed slowly and Jennie found herself drifting in and out of sleep. Impatient she asked at reception if Taehyung had already come out of surgery. The answer was no. Giving up, Jennie went back to his apartment, and climbed into bed. Keeping the gun close, she didn't sleep a wink. She felt unsafe in the apartment on her own, and her fear allowed the negative thoughts to permeate and stew in her head. The gun felt heavy as she clasped it to her chest. Restless she moved through the apartment, a lit cigarette in one hand, the gun in the other. The stress seemed to keep her withdrawals at bay. Sitting at the kitchen table she pressed the handle of the gun to her head, feeling useless and alone. As the morning light spilled into the apartment, Jennie had already crashed out on the kitchen table.


	7. Breathe

Jennie went back to the hospital the following evening, not wanting to risk being seen in the daylight. A gurney whizzed past her as she entered the busy establishment, and she jumped to the side, not wanting to get in the way. The A&E ward was crammed, and it took her a while to locate Taehyung's room. Asking a nurse who lingered outside one of the busiest rooms, she found Taehyung behind a curtain, lying propped up in a bed with a large bandage wrapped around his torso. A monitor bleeped next to him, and Jennie could make out the wires snaking from his wrist and elbow to the equipment set up next to the bed. She pulled over a large armchair and sat down in it. Taehyung blinked his eyes open, and he grinned when she caught sight of her. Jennie took his hand, feeling overwhelmed yet relieved that he was somewhat okay.   
"What happened?" Jennie asked.   
"I got jumped leaving the shop yesterday"  
Jennie swallowed the guilt that had risen in her throat. "I think I know who did it"  
Taehyung exhaled a ragged breath.   
"I think I can guess also" he said.   
"What did they look like?" Jennie asked.   
"Pink hair"   
Jennie balked. Baekhyun.  
"I know him" she said.   
"This wouldn't have happened if ..." Taehyung trailed off.   
"If what?"  
He sighed. His hand flew to his injury as he shifted against the pillows.   
"If you hadn't come to me" he finished.   
"How can you say that? I thought I could trust you? That you would be there for me?"  
"I know. I had a feeling it would get dangerous, but when your life is at risk, you start to realise that self preservation is everything"  
"I can't believe you're saying this" Jennie said.   
"I just... I almost died, Jen"   
"Yeah" she said, pulling her hand free from his.   
"Hey" he said, reaching out to her.   
"Hey, what?" she said, whirling on him. The smell of disinfectant caused a headache to settle behind her eyes.   
Taehyung stared at her. "I'm sorry"   
"No, you're right" Jennie said, voice small.   
"Look, I'm just scared alright? These guys.. they don't mess around" he said.   
"I told you that" Jennie snapped.   
"I know. I just didn't think it would be this serious"  
Jennie tucked her knees up to her chest, sitting all the way back into the armchair. Night fell outside the window.   
"I don't know what to say" she said.   
"Neither do I. I don't blame you Jen, please believe me"  
Jennie turned away from him.   
"I vowed not to leave your side" she choked. "I told myself that I would stay by your side through all this, like you have done for me, but now, it sounds like you want nothing to do with me".   
Taehyung took an agonising breath.   
"I didn't mean for it to come across that way"  
"How did you mean it then?" she snapped, looking at him through a blur of tears.   
"I said what I said out of fear. I'm sure you know what that's like" he said.   
Jennie swiped at her eyes. "I'm not perfect. I'm sorry that I fucked up your life" she muttered. A lump formed in her throat.   
"You didn't .." Taehyung began.   
"But I'm going to keep my vow" she said, cutting him off. "I don't ditch people in their time of need".  
Before Taehyung could retaliate, a nurse pulled back the curtain with medical paraphernalia in hand. She assessed Taehyung's vitals.   
"We're going to change your dressing, and then give you your last dose of morphine, okay?" the nurse said, helping Taehyung sit up. Jennie stepped out of the room as the nurse got to work, choosing to head down to the kiosk and purchase a tea. Her mouth was dry, and her tears created streaks on her flushed cheeks. Taehyung's words hurt. Taking the tea she returned to his room to find that he was already drifting in and out of sleep as the morphine and antibiotics took hold. Folding her own self back into the armchair Jennie sipped at her tea in silence, eyes glued to what was going on outside the window. The carpark appeared to be permanently packed, and in her peripheral she could see two ambulances pull out of the loading bay. A light rain dashed the window pane. Throwing her empty cup into the bin next to Taehyung's bed, she dozed off, a night of no sleep suddenly catching up on her. 

*

She jolted awake to the sound of voices and metal scraping against tile. She blinked away the harsh light that spilled into the room through the blinds. Her muscles ached from hours spent sitting in the armchair. She stretched out, and winced as her body cracked and popped in places. Taehyung was talking to a nurse in hushed tones. She was dabbing at his fresh wound with a cotton bud, cleaning the bruised skin around the injury carefully. Jennie turned away, feeling nauseous. A second nurse appeared with a tray of food, setting it down on the bed in front of him. Taehyung didn't acknowledge Jennie once. She got up and went down to the first floor, ducking outside for a cigarette. The morning air was icy. Purchasing a second tea and a soggy sandwich from the kiosk, she returned to Taehyung's room. The smell of urine and damp assaulted her nostrils upon arrival, and the sandwich in her hand suddenly became extremely unappetising. Doctors drifted past her, clipboards in hand. A patient to her right broke out into a coughing fit, and doctors rushed to his side just as he puked up onto the floor. Ducking behind Taehyung's curtain, Jennie hid, picking uselessly at her own meal as she tried to satisfy her raging hunger. Taehyung glanced at her from his perch in the hospital bed. A nurse was adjusting his new dressing. Jennie tossed her meal into the bin, choosing to eat at the apartment later on.   
"Sleep well?" Taehyung asked.   
"Kind of" she replied.   
"Good news, I'm going to be discharged later on today" Taehyung said. Jennie couldn't help the smile that danced across her lips at his words.   
Taehyung lay back against the pillow once his dressing was in place.   
"Can't wait to get out of this place"

Jennie assisted Taehyung back into his hoodie once the decision to discharge him had been approved by the head doctor. He didn't bother zipping it up over his bare torso. He pulled on his boots, and then headed to the door to check out with the nurse on duty. Jennie draped one of his arms over her shoulders to help with his balance. The nurse handed Jennie a bag of Taehyung's medication and fresh bandages, followed by clear instructions to change his dressings twice a day. Taehyung signed off on the form, and then they left the building. Jennie's frame buckled under Taehyung's weight, but she managed to get him out and into a waiting cab before her shoulders gave out. The taxi pulled away from the curb. 

Jennie tossed the keys to the apartment on the kitchen table the second they arrived so that her hands would be free to assist him to the bedroom. Taehyung dropped onto the bed, inhaling a sharp breath at the discomfort. Jennie knelt in front of him.   
"When are you due your next dose of antibiotics?"  
"In the next hour or so" he replied.   
"Ok"   
Once showered, Taehyung got into bed and shut his eyes. Jennie fixed him a hot tea, a glass of water and his second dose of medication, placing the items on the night stand for easy access. Leaving Taehyung to his own devices, Jennie decided to give him some space. Leaving the bedroom, she turned on the television and muted it, letting it play in the background as she hunted around the kitchen for a bowl and a mixer. She hadn't baked in years. One of her vaguest memories was of her mother whipping up batches of cupcakes and scones when she was a child. Setting out her ingredients, she got to work. A call from the bedroom made her go running, worried Taehyung had split his stitches or worse. He was sitting up on the edge of the bed, slumped over.   
"What's going on? Are you alright?" she asked.   
"Yeah. I just have to change my dressing" he said, a sheepish grin appearing on his handsome face. Jennie crouched between his legs as she fumbled with the new bandaging in her hands. The lamp on the night stand provided the necessary light source for her to unwind his old bandages carefully. Taehyung watched her work. Jennie could feel him exhale into her space. She didn't look at him, instead choosing to focus on her task.   
"Jen?" he said softly.   
"Yes"  
"I'm sorry for what I said in the hospital" he said.   
Jennie didn't reply, eyes glued to the bandages in her hands, winding it around his broad shape with nimble fingers.   
"It's ok" she said after a pause.   
To her surprise Taehyung took hold of her face in his large palms, forcing her to look up at him.   
"It's not. I want you to know that I didn't mean it"  
Jennie stared back at him boldly. His fringe had fallen into his eyes. His thumb traced the outline of her bottom lip tentatively, sending shivers down her spine. Her breath caught in her throat. Taehyung didn't let up.   
"I need to know that you forgive me" he whispered.   
"I... I don't know"   
Taehyung moved in for a kiss, but Jennie pulled free from his hold, quickly tucking the last of his dressing into the side before standing up. Taehyung lay back on the mattress watching her leave the room through hooded lashes and a sense of remorse in his expression. Jennie stood at the kitchen counter with her head low, the desire to bake no longer present. The butter and sugar in the bowl in front of her mocked her. A dampness made itself known between her legs. Feeling regretful, she dumped the contents of the bowl into the bin and rinsed it out, desperate to busy herself to drown out her racing thoughts.   
"I would have eaten that" came a voice from behind her. Jennie didn't turn around.   
"Yeah, the mood went off me"  
"Why's that?"  
Jennie spun around. Taehyung was leaning against the doorframe.   
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Jennie asked, suddenly nervous.   
"I should be, but then I got excited at the idea of having cupcakes for dinner"  
Jennie cracked a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well... maybe next time"  
Taehyung approached her, and she backed up into the side of the counter, feeling uncomfortable at his unsolicited advances. He stopped short, resting a hand on the side of her face once again.   
"Jen, I'm sorry" he said, eyes pleading.   
"I know you are .." she stammered.   
"I'm not like .. Kai or those other guys, alright?"   
Jennie removed his hand from her face.   
"Yeah... I know .." she said.  
"I didn't mean what I said .."  
"Stop saying that, I get it" she snapped.   
"I get that your walls are up, but as I said, you have to let me in.."  
"I tried doing that, and then I was reminded that it was a mistake as usual.." she fought back.   
"It wasn't ... " he began, letting the words die in his throat. He scratched the back of his head anxiously. Jennie put her back to him then, wiping down the counter with a wet rag, feeling tears burn the corners of her eyes. She stiffened when she felt his presence behind her. His hand came round and landed on hers.   
"I don't think you've ever heard the word sorry before" he said into her ear. Jennie let her walls come down at that moment, as she turned into his embrace, eyes seeking a sense of sorrow in his. Taehyung's hand flew to her hip, and like that night in the studio, their bodies fit together in perfect unison. Taehyung kissed her then, and Jennie let him. Their mouths crushed together in a sloppy expression of lust and desire, tongues colliding as the passion picked up the pace. Taehyung backed her towards the bedroom, stopping in the door to haul her up into his arms, his lips still on hers, as he carried to her to the bed.   
"Be careful" Jennie said, breathless.   
"I'm fine" he replied, falling down on top of her as they landed on the duvet. Taehyung raised himself onto his elbows to look down at her. Jennie let two hot tears fall. Taehyung wiped them away gently.   
"Do you trust me?" he asked.   
"Yes"  
Interlocking his fingers with hers, they proceeded to have sex. Jennie tuned into her body, allowing Taehyung to navigate her crevices, her clit, the warmth between her thighs, before trailing up to circle around her erect nipples. He thrust inside her slowly, and the the pleasure Jennie felt was unlike anything else she'd ever experienced. Taehyung gradually picked up the pace. A sweat broke out on Jennie's forehead, as she became vocal about having her needs met. Her toes curled as her body ignited with a series of different sensations. Her small hands traced his back and muscular shoulders as the thrusting increased. She raised her hips up to meet his and with a slight lunge, Taehyung achieved an orgasm. He collapsed onto her chest as he came down from his high. Jennie ran her hands through his hair as she lay beneath him, pulling him down into her embrace. Taehyung rolled onto his back in a dazed stupor, reaching out to pull Jennie closer to him. They shared a soft kiss. Wrapping her in a protective hug, he crashed out, more from the reduction in his hormones than anything else. Jennie rubbed her palms over his pronounced torso, feeling secure in his hold. Shutting her eyes, she dreamt of the sea, crashing waves and the freedom that encompassed her when she stood in the briny.


	8. Dangerous Game

Jennie cracked her eyes open to find Taehyung already staring. She gazed back at him, cheeks flushed from the sex the night before. Her body tingled at the memory. The bedsheets felt pillowy against her skin. Taehyung smirked at her through long dark lashes.  
"Guess what?" he said.   
"What?"  
"I'm really glad I met you"  
"Don't you wish it could have been under better circumstances?"  
"Not at all"  
Jennie smiled, rolling onto her stomach and facing away from him, trying to wake her sleeping brain up. Taehyung snaked a heavy appendage around her waist, dragging her into his build, his fingertips tracing soft circles on her hip. Bringing his lips to the wasp tattoo on her shoulder he kissed the skin, before moving to plant one on her pink cheek. Jennie giggled.   
"That tickles" she said.   
"Oh yeah" Taehyung teased, tickling her gently on the ribs. Jennie squirmed, moving underneath him to alleviate the erratic sensation, letting out another laugh as the game ensued. Taehyung devoured her in kisses, proceeding to drag his fingers up and down her naked frame, grinning when she writhed beneath him. Jennie tried to catch his hands, holding them against her body before they travelled down between her legs. Taehyung smiled at her.   
"No?" he taunted playfully.   
Jennie bit her lower lip, eyes betraying her true yearning to be touched. Taehyung grinned at her sudden bashful demeanour. Teasing Jennie with gentle kisses, his fingers trailed down between her legs and began massaging her moist clit. Jennie purred against his mouth, allowing the rapture to guide her movements. She responded to Taehyung's touch, throwing one of her legs around his lower back to grant him better access. He slipped two fingers inside her entrance, gathering a rhythm, slow and steady. Jennie tangled her fingers in his hair, relishing in the feeling an increasing orgasm brought her. Taehyung dragged his wet fingers from her entrance to her clit, and that's when Jennie exploded, squirting onto the bedsheets, soaking them through.   
"You're such a bad girl" Taehyung growled.   
Jennie covered her face with her hands to hide her blush. She felt overwhelmed with emotion.   
"It felt good" she said.   
"As it should" he replied.   
Climbing between her legs, he slid his own erection deep inside her, and Jennie drew him in, raising her hips and locking her ankles behind his back to hold him in place. Taehyung fucked her, enjoying the feel of her walls clenching around his shaft, as he worked to achieve his own climax. Jennie moaned in his ear, driving him on. He hammered into her at a faster pace, and as if on cue, Jennie's cries became heated, reaching a higher pitch. Taehyung came, collapsing onto the bed as he tried to regain himself. Jennie rolled over and lay on his chest, breathing heavily from the exertion. Taehyung glanced down at their naked bodies, planting a breathy kiss on her head as he lay back against the pillows. Jennie ran a fingertip around his stitches, aware that they had become red and aggressive due to the physical demands that accompanied the intercourse.   
"I have to put new dressing on " Taehyung said, grabbing the bandages off the night stand.   
"I can help" Jennie said.   
"No, babe, it's ok" he said, unravelling the gauze. Jennie went into the bathroom and peed, before stepping into the shower to rinse the sweat off her body.   
Emerging into the bedroom with a towel around her she noticed Taehyung pulling on a pair of jeans.   
"Where you going?" Jennie asked.  
"We need some food for dinner. I'll go to the shop"   
"No. I'll go this time. I have to buy sanitary towels anyway" she said, dressing quickly. Taehyung hesitated.  
"I'm not so sure about that Jen"   
"I am. I'd rather you didnt get stabbed again" she said, dabbing at her hair with the towel.   
"It's not safe"  
"I'll be quick" she said, twisting her dark locks into a messy bun at the top of her head. Taehyung sat on the edge of the bed, snaking a broad arm around her waist to draw her in to him. He stared up at her through his fringe.   
"You sure?"  
"Yeah" she said.   
"How about I drive .."  
"Tae?" she said, cutting him off. "I'll be fine".

The shop bell dinged as Jennie crossed the threshold, her peripheral vision obscured by the hood of one of Taehyung's jackets. Picking up a basket she did a couple rounds of the aisles, collecting the items that she needed. A ruckus at the front of the shop made her glance up to see a familiar figure shouting abuse at the employee behind the till. Jennie assessed the situation from behind the cereal boxes. It was Lisa. Jennie watched her slam a sheet of paper down on the countertop before shoving her way out of the shop and vanishing amongst a crowd of teens and other passerby's. Vomit rose in Jennie's throat at the sight. Her palms grew sweaty. Adrenaline made her walk to the counter to pay for her items, keen to leave the store and get back to the safety of Taehyung's apartment before she got spotted. The employee scanned her items slowly, and as the minutes ticked by the more anxious Jennie became. Lowering her gaze she noticed two more missing persons posters lying crunched beneath her basket. Taking them out from underneath the wire crate, she stuffed them into her jacket pocket, aware that the employee was too engrossed in her job to notice. Jennie paid for her items and left the shop, walking fast in the direction of the newest apartment complex, keeping her head down as she walked. When she reached the entrance she made the observation that there had been signs of forced entry. The keypad on the wall beside the door had been smashed in, and there was a large hole in the glass facade. Jennie panicked. Pulling the sleeve of the jacket down over her hands to avoid being cut she reached in through the hole and pushed down on the handle. She made her way up to Taehyung's apartment with the unshakable feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Jennie crossed the threshold of the apartment warily. She called out for Taehyung but got no response. Placing the shopping bag on the countertop, she grabbed the nearest weapon, which ended up being a corkscrew. Much to her surprise and dismay, Kai stalked into the space, a battered Taehyung following in his wake. Jennie's hands flew to her mouth. Her heart leaped in her ribcage. Kai grabbed Taehyung and threw him to the ground. Taehyung landed on his knees, clutching at his injury with one hand. Kai sneered at Jennie, maintaining eye contact with her as he booted Taehyung twice in the ribs. Jennie winced at the crack of each blow.   
"This where you've been hiding huh, kitten?" he jeered. Jennie's eyes brimmed with tears as she assesssed Taehyung's unfortunate situation. He keeled over onto his side, holding his wounded body in one arm as he gasped for the breath that had been so cruelly knocked out of him. Jennie's sweaty fingers closed around the corkscrew in an act of defence. Kai approached her on agile legs, and before Jennie could get away he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked it viciously. Jennie yelped, her own hands flying to his to alleviate the pain. Kai wrenched her over the countertop, throwing a punch into her gut, before dragging her weakened body over to where Taehyung lay. His chest rose and fell steadily, but he didn't move. Kai bore down on Jennie, pulling her neck back at an awkward angle, forcing her to look down at Taehyung and the damage she had indirectly left on him. Jennie bit back the torrent of tears, gritting her teeth in defiance, refusing to let Kai win. Taehyung made a slow attempt to reach out for her, but Kai crunched his fingers beneath his boot, grinding them into the floor for good measure. Taehyung yelled in protest. A sob escaped Jennie's lips at the sight.   
"Tae..." she gasped, the words dying in her throat, as Kai's deep baritone chuckle shattered the quiet.   
"This is what you've done" Kai spat, shaking her roughly, before sending her across the room in a bout of admirable strength. Jennie slammed into the wall, her head and shoulders taking the brunt of the assault. She screeched at the impact, her rattled body going numb as the pain shot through her entire being. Her brain bounced around her skull. Kai wasn't finished yet. He crouched in front of her frame and hauled her into a sitting position by her hair, slapping her across the face as he did so.   
"Get up" he hissed, lips curling at the corners in a nasty leer.   
"Fuck you" Jennie spat back, refusing to let her gaze leave his as she bared her determination in the face of his disparage. Kai didn't bat an eyelid, bringing his face close to hers as if going in for a kiss. Jennie held her breath as he reached into his pocket to brandish a packet of cocaine.   
"You must have missed this, kitten" he goaded, waving the package around in front of her.   
"Not once" she replied.   
Kai smirked. "Huh.. we'll see about that"  
He tore open the packet and dug out a small handful of the powder before blowing it into her face, smearing the remnants of the drug across her nose and lips, parting them with his grimy fingers as he wiped the rest of the powder across her gums and her tongue. Jennie bit down on his fingers hard, taking him by surprise. Kai recoiled, shaking his injured appendages as he seethed in anger.   
"You're going to regret that, kitten" he cried. Jennie took this chance to flee. Scrambling up she ran, aware that Kai was hot on her heels.   
"You will not do this to me again", she cried.  
Grabbing the corkscrew off the counter she sprinted out of the apartment. The sound of Kai's footfalls behind her spurred her on as she burst through the stairwell doors and down the flights of stairs, hurtling towards freedom, adrenaline carrying her as she moved. Her ankle bent as she tried to take two steps at a time, and she faltered, allowing Kai the chance to seize hold of her arm. Jennie stumbled into the wall, and as Kai reefed her towards him she spun around and plunged the twisted metal screw deep into his neck, twisting her way through the epithelium, severing muscle and tissue as she did so. Blood spurted from the puncture in the veins, dousing her and Kai in a thick stream of the sticky liquid. Kai erupted into a spasmodic episode as his body went into extreme shock. He sagged against Jennie and she buckled underneath his tall form. Tears streaked her cheeks as she twisted one final time, already knuckle deep into the wound. Gradually Kai went into hypovolemic shock as he lost blood, and with one last spasm he died. Jennie shoved him off her person, trembling as he slumped to the ground at her feet with a squelch. The corkscrew clattered to the ground. Jennie stared wide eyed down at her bloodied hands and clothes. The putrid stench of iron and copper assaulted her nostrils, making her gag. Her hair was stuck with gobs of blood and the strands clung to her neck and face, the places that had gotten the worst of it. A noise from the stairwell above her made her climb the stairs and stand on the landing to see who was coming. Taehyung stood in the doorway, staring down at her, Kai's gun in hand, the other nursing his new wounds. His mouth dropped open in shock when he caught sight of Jennie's dishevelled and grisly appearance. Unafraid she dragged her eyes to meet his, letting her crimson hands fall at her side.   
"You didn't..." Taehyung started.  
"It was self defense" Jennie replied uselessly.   
Below, the stairwell door opened to reveal a woman and her child engrossed in conversation. When they caught sight of Kai's dead body and the pool of blood, they began to shriek uncontrollably. The child let out a shrill wail. The woman met Jennie's blank expression, and Jennie stared back at her, the realisation of what she had done finally sinking in. The woman let out another scream before taking hold of her child and quickly backing out the door they just came through.   
"Jen" Taehyung said. "We have to go. Now"

END


End file.
